THE  EDUCATION  OF  WOMEN 

in  china 

MARGARET  E.  BURTON 


/2~  .S'.  / 


i\tf  ftoMogfatf 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund. 


division 


Section 


LC&IZ 

397 


Miss  Ilien  Tang,  a Young  Christian  Teacher, 
a Graduate  of  the  Rulison-Fish  Memorial 
School,  Kiukiang 


The  Education  of 
Women  in  China 


By  y 

MARGARET  E.  BURTON 


ILLUSTRATED 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1911,  by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  123  N.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London : 21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  100  Princes  Street 


TO 

i$Ij>  JllotJjer  anb  Jfatfjer 

IN  LOVING  RECOGNITION  OF  GIFTS 
TOO  GREAT  FOR  THANKS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/educationofwomen00burt_0 


PREFACE 


Of  all  the  remarkable  changes  which 
have  taken  place  in  China  within  the  last 
decade,  none  is  more  significant  than  the 
change  of  attitude  toward  the  education  of 
women.  Active  interest  and  even  enthusi- 
asm have  taken  the  place  of  the  indifference  or 
disapproval  of  the  past  centuries.  China  is 
coming  to  recognize  that  if  she  is  to  be  gen- 
uinely strong,  in  the  new  era  of  her  history 
upon  which  she  is  entering,  her  women  must 
be  given  such  education  as  will  purify  and 
elevate  national  life  at  its  very  source,  the 
home.  The  character  of  the  great  new  China 
will  be  determined  in  no  small  measure  by  the 
women  of  the  nation,  and  what  these  women 
will  be  depends  very  largely  upon  whether 
they  receive  education,  and  upon  the  type  of 
that  education. 

During  a stay  of  six  months  in  China  in 
1909  I was  much  interested  in  a study  of  the 
present  conditions  in  woman’s  education,  and 
visited  several  of  the  schools  for  girls,  both 
those  conducted  by  the  Mission  Boards  and 
5 


6 


Preface 


those  recently  established  by  the  Chinese. 
Since  my  return  to  this  country  I have  con- 
tinued my  study,  seeking  to  learn  from  the 
best  available  authorities  the  character  of  such 
education  for  women  as  existed  before  the 
entrance  of  Western  influences,  and  to  trace 
the  history  of  modern  education,  using,  as  far 
as  possible,  original  sources.  Although  these 
studies  have  been  by  no  means  exhaustive, 
I have  put  the  results  into  their  present 
form  in  the  belief  that  they  may  be  of  inter- 
est to  others  as  well  as  to  myself.  It  is  with 
the  earnest  hope  that  it  may  help  to  a clearer 
understanding  of  the  power  which  the  Chinese 
women  are  capable  of  exerting,  and  of  their 
importance  to  the  future  of  the  oldest  and 
most  populous  of  the  nations  of  the  world, 
that  this  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of  the 
education  of  Chinese  women  is  sent  forth. 

M.  E.  B. 


Contents 


CHAPTER 

I. 

Woman’s  Education  before  1842  . 

PAGE 
I I 

II. 

The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings 

34 

III. 

The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth 

52 

IV. 

The  Women  Produced  by  the 
Christian  Schools 

77 

V. 

The  Pioneer  Girls’  School  Estab- 
lished by  the  Chinese 

100 

VI. 

The  Development  of  Gentry 
and  Government  Schools 

112 

VII. 

The  Character  of  the  Gentry 
and  Government  Schools 

130 

VIII. 

The  Present  Popularity  of 
Woman’s  Education  . 

149 

IX. 

The  Relation  of  Woman’s  Edu- 
cation to  the  New  China 

1 66 

X. 

The  Present  Opportunity  and 
its  Challenge  .... 

194 

XI. 

The  Present  Opportunity  and 
its  Demands  .... 

213 

Illustrations 


Miss  Ilien  Tang,  a Young  Christian  Teach- 
er, a Graduate  of  the  Rulison-Fish  Me- 
morial School,  Kingkiang  . . . Frontispiece 

OPPOSITE  PAGE 

Little  Girls  of  Old  China 16 

The  Daughter  of  the  First  Pupil  of  a Mis- 
sion School  in  East  China 36 

Little  Chinese  Foundling  Girls  Adopted  by 
the  Methodist  Mission 44 

Mrs.  Lai-sun,  a Pupil  in  the  First  School 
for  Girls  Established  in  China  ....  50 

The  Class  of  1909,  Rulison-Fish  Memorial 
School,  Kingkiang 56 

Chinese  Women  Physicians,  Graduates  of  a 
Mission  School 82 

Government  School  for  Girls — Canton  . . 116 

Government  Kindergarten  at  Foochow  in 
Session 128 

The  Girls  of  the  Baldwin  Memorial  School, 
Nanchang 152 

The  Members  of  the  Young  Women’s 
Christian  Association — The  Laura  Hay- 
good  School,  Soochow 164 


9 


10 


Illustrations 


OPPOSITE  PAGE 


Young  Women’s  Christian  Association 
Building,  Shanghai .170 

A Chinese  Official  and  His  Family  . . . 196 

A Chinese  Kindergarten  Teacher  and  Her 
Pupils 210 

Almost  Ready  For  College  218 

The  Only  School  for  Girls  in  a City  of 
Twenty  Thousand.  Its  Building  and 
Pupils 228 


I 


WOMAN’S  EDUCATION  BEFORE  1842 

PROBABLY  no  nation  of  the  world  has 
ever  reverenced  education  more  pro- 
foundly, or  been  more  influenced  by  it, 
than  has  China.  “ Education  is  the  highest 
pursuit  a man  can  follow  ” is  a favourite 
maxim,  and  the  genuineness  of  the  people’s 
belief  in  this  statement  is  evidenced  by  the 
respect  everywhere  accorded  to  the  educated 
man.  During  a visit  to  Canton,  I one  day 
accompanied  a medical  missionary  on  a visit 
to  a patient  in  a small  village  some  miles  from 
the  city.  It  was  an  unattractive  village,  dirty, 
squalid  and  isolated.  But  in  that  little  village 
were  erected,  in  a prominent  position,  three 
long  slender  poles,  widening  at  the  top,  which 
I was  told  were  the  pride  of  the  village,  the 
visible  evidence  that  three  of  its  residents  had 
received  the  coveted  literary  degrees  which 
gave  them  a place  among  the  “ literati,”  the 
only  aristocrats  in  democratic  China. 

This  aristocracy  is  itself  very  democratic  in 
character.  The  examinations  for  the  literary 
11 


12  Education  of  Women  in  China 

degrees  have  always  been  open  to  men  of  every 
rank.  And  although  the  holders  of  degrees 
may  be  of  very  humble  families,  it  is  they, 
rather  than  the  men  who  have  merely  wealth 
or  birth  to  recommend  them,  who  are  the  in- 
fluential members  of  a community.  “ They 
originate,  shape  and  control  public  opinion.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  overstate  the  respect  in 
which  they  are  held  and  the  deference  shown 
them  everywhere  and  by  all  classes.  They  are 
the  unofficial  judges,  the  arbitrators  in  village 
or  family  differences,  the  disseminators  of  pub- 
lic news  and  commentators  upon  it,  the  au- 
thority in  matters  of  etiquette  and  propriety, 
the  leaders  in  feasts  and  amusements,  the 
censors  of  morals,  the  writers  and  readers  of 
letters  for  the  illiterate,  the  teachers  of  the 
village  schools.  They  draw  contracts,  busi- 
ness agreements  of  all  sorts,  and  petitions  to 
the  authorities.  They  are  the  leaders  of 
thought  and  action.”  1 

In  view  of  this  universal  reverence  for  edu- 
cation in  China,  it  may  not  seem  surprising 
that  the  earliest  book  on  the  subject  of  wom- 
an’s education  of  which  we  have  any  knowl- 
edge was  written  in  China,  and  by  a Chinese 
woman,  Lady  Tsao.  The  subject  has  not  been 
an  uncommon  one  among  Chinese  writers,  for 
1 Holcombe,  The  Real  Chinese  Question,  p.  63. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  13 

tHey  have  not  failed  to  realize  the  mother’s 
influence  on  her  children,  and  thus  on  the  life 
of  the  nation,  and  with  this  in  mind  have 
recommended  that  women  be  educated.  For 
example,  Luhchau,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished Chinese  essayists  of  the  last  century, 
published  a book  some  years  ago  called  the 
“ Female  Instructor,”  in  the  preface  of  which 
he  says : 

“ The  basis  of  the  government  of  the  Em- 
pire lies  in  the  habits  of  the  people,  and  the 
surety  that  their  usages  will  be  correct  is  in 
the  orderly  management  of  families,  which  last 
depends  chiefly  upon  the  females.  In  the  good 
old  times  of  Chau,  the  virtuous  women  set 
such  an  excellent  example  that  it  influenced 
the  customs  of  the  Empire,  an  influence  that 
descended  even  to  the  times  of  the  Ching  and 
Wei  states.  . . Females  are  doubtless  the 
source  of  good  manners.  From  ancient  times 
to  the  present  this  has  been  the  case.  The  in- 
clination to  virtue  and  vice  in  women  differs 
exceedingly;  their  dispositions  incline  contrary 
ways  and  if  it  is  wished  to  form  them  alike 
there  is  nothing  like  education.” 

But  the  ideas  of  what  should  constitute 
woman’s  education  have  been  somewhat  differ- 
ent from  those  which  we  usually  associate  to- 
day with  the  word  education.  Luhchau  goes 


14  Education  of  Women  in  China 

on  to  expound  his  ideals  in  the  matter  by  quot- 
ing the  ancient  Ritual  of  Chau,  according  to 
which  “ the  imperial  wives  regulated  the  law 
for  educating  females  in  order  to  instruct  the 
ladies  of  the  palace  in  morals,  conversation, 
manners  and  work.”  After  pointing  out  the 
great  dissimilarity  which  he  felt  should  exist 
between  the  education  of  men  and  that  of 
women  he  speaks  of  the  subjects  in  which  he 
felt  it  was  especially  important  that  women 
should  be  instructed. 

“ First  concerning  her  obedience  to  her  hus- 
band and  to  his  parents,  then  in  regard  to  her 
complaisance  to  his  brothers  and  sisters,  and 
kindness  to  her  sisters-in-law.  If  unmarried 
she  has  duties  to  her  parents  and  to  the  wives 
of  her  elder  brothers;  if  a principal  wife  a 
woman  must  bear  no  jealous  feelings;  if  in 
straitened  circumstances  she  must  be  contented 
with  her  lot;  if  rich  and  honourable  she  must 
avoid  extravagance  and  haughtiness.  Then 
teach  her  in  times  of  trouble  and  days  of  ease 
how  to  maintain  her  purity,  how  to  give  im- 
portance to  right  principles,  how  to  observe 
widowhood,  how  to  avenge  the  murder  of  a 
relative.  Is  she  a mother  let  her  teach  her 
children;  is  she  a stepmother  let  her  love  and 
cherish  her  husband’s  children;  is  her  rank  in 
life  high  let  her  be  condescending  to  her  in- 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  15 

feriors.  ...  In  conversation  a female  should 
not  be  froward  and  garrulous,  but  observe 
strictly  what  is  correct,  whether  in  suggesting 
advice  to  her  husband,  in  remonstrating  with 
him,  in  teaching  her  children,  in  maintaining 
etiquette,  in  humbly  imparting  her  experience 
and  in  averting  misfortune.  The  deportment 
of  females  should  be  strictly  grave  and  sober 
and  yet  adapted  to  the  occasion;  whether  in 
waiting  on  her  parents,  receiving  or  reverenc- 
ing her  husband,  rising  up  or  sitting  down,  in 
times  of  mourning,  or  fleeing  in  war  she  should 
be  perfectly  decorous.  Rearing  the  silkworm 
and  working  cloth  are  the  most  important  of 
the  employments  of  a female;  preparing  and 
serving  up  the  food  for  her  household  and  set- 
ting in  order  the  sacrifices,  follow  next,  each 
of  which  must  be  attended  to.  After  them 
study  and  learning  can  fill  up  the  time.”  2 
Another  well-known  book  for  women,  called 
the  Nii-rh  Yu,  or  “ Words  for  Women  and 
Girls,”  written  early  in  the  last  century  by  a 
Manchu  official,  sets  forth  instructions  for 
women  along  much  the  same  lines.  It  is  writ- 
ten in  metrical  form  so  as  to  be  easily  mem- 
orized, and  gives  what  are  in  the  main  sensible 
suggestions  as  to  behavior,  neatness,  household 
management,  the  care  of  children  and  similar 
2 Williams,  The  Middle  Kingdom,  VoJ.  I,  p.  574  f. 


1 6 Education  of  Women  in  China 


topics.  A few  extracts  will  show  its  general 
purport. 

"When  wives  and  girls  are  still  in  youth 
Much  need  they  have  of  constant  heed. 

At  morn  their  place  is  first  to  rise. 

At  evening  last  to  seek  their  couch, 

To  strive  that  all  the  work  be  done 
And  yield  till  others’  meals  are  o’er.  . . . 

Are  unused  food  or  tea  grounds  left 
She  lays  them  by  with  careful  thought 
For  those  poor  folk  who  come  around 
Compelled  to  live  on  chaff  and  earth.  . . . 

With  filial  duty  serve  the  old 

As  if  they  were  your  household  lords. 

Help  them  in  kindly  patient  acts 
Without  a word  of  grudging  scorn.  . . . 

Serve  great  and  small  with  equal  zeal 
And  always  let  your  will  give  way. 

If  lord  or  lady  ask  your  help 
First  with  your  husband  counsel  take 
For  he  to  you  must  heaven  be  . . . 

A wayward  spouse  with  aims  depraved 
Can  oft  be  urged  to  mend  his  way 
By  earnest  words  and  constant  talk, 

And  quickened  thus  to  higher  life.  . . . 

In  all  your  care  of  tender  babes 

Mind  lest  they’re  fed  or  warmed  too  much; 

The  childish  liberty  first  granted 

Must  soon  be  checked  by  rule  and  rein.  . . . 

All  flesh  and  fruits  when  ill  with  colds 
Are  noxious  drugs  to  tender  babes 
Who  need  a careful  oversight. 

Yet  want  some  license  in  their  play. 

Be  strict  in  all  you  bid  them  do, 

For  this  will  guard  from  ill  and  woe.”  * 

* Williams,  in  The  Chinese  Recorder,  Jan.-Feb.,  1880. 


Little  Girls  of  Old  China 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  17 

The  Nii  Kiai,  or  “ Rules  for  Women,”  writ- 
ten by  Lady  Tsao  nearly  seventeen  centuries 
before  the  two  books  just  referred  to,  is  very 
similar  to  them  in  its  general  character.  Lady 
Tsao  says : “ The  virtue  of  a female  does  not 
consist  altogether  in  extraordinary  abilities  or 
intelligence,  but  in  being  modestly  grave  and 
inviolably  chaste,  observing  the  requirements 
of  virtuous  widowhood,  and  in  being  tidy  in 
her  person  and  everything  about  her ; in  what- 
ever she  does  to  be  unassuming,  and  whenever 
she  moves  or  sits  to  be  decorous.  This  is 
female  virtue.”  4 

The  headings  of  the  seven  chapters  of  Lady 
Tsao’s  book  will  show  what  were,  in  her  opin- 
ion, the  most  important  features  of  a woman’s 
education. 

1.  The  state  of  subjection  and  weakness  in 

which  women  are  born. 

2.  The  duties  of  a woman  when  under  the 

power  of  a husband. 

3.  The  unlimited  respect  due  to  a husband, 

and  constant  self-examination  and  re- 
straint. 

4.  The  qualities  which  render  a female  lova- 

ble, divided  into  those  relating  to  her 
virtue,  her  conversation,  her  dress  and 
occupations. 

4 Williams,  The  Middle  Kingdom , Vol.  I,  p.  574. 


1 8 Education  of  Women  in  China 

5.  The  lasting  attachment  due  from  a wife 

to  a husband. 

6.  The  obedience  due  to  a husband  and  to 

his  parents. 

7.  The  cordial  relations  to  be  maintained 

with  her  husband's  brothers  and  sis- 
ters.5 

It  will  be  seen  from  these  glimpses  at  three 
of  the  most  important  of  the  Chinese  books  on 
the  education  of  women  that  the  emphasis  was 
laid  almost  exclusively  on  conduct,  and  that 
instruction  in  the  three  Rs  and  kindred  topics 
was  not  considered  at  all  an  essential  part  of 
a woman’s  education.  As  Dr.  Williams  points 
out,  these  books  “ are  rather  to  be  compared 
to  works  like  Sprague’s  ‘ Letters  to  a Daugh- 
ter ’ or  Hannah  More’s  ‘ Education  of  a 
Princess,’  than  to  what  we  call  school  books; 
for  such  branches  as  arithmetic,  geography, 
ancient  or  modem  history,  philosophy  and 
physics  are  not  yet  taught  in  any  native  school 
in  China.”  6 

The  opinion  of  Confucius  in  regard  to 
the  education  of  women  seems  to  have  been 
generally  held  by  the  Chinese  people  until 
very  recent  times.  Writing  five  hundred 
years  before  Lady  Tsao,  he  said:  “Women 

6 Williams,  in  The  Chinese  Recorder,  Jan.-Feb.,  1880. 

# The  Chinese  Recorder,  Jan.-Feb.,  1880. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  19 

are  as  different  from  men  as  earth  is  from 
heaven.  . . . Women  indeed  are  human  be- 
ings, but  they  are  of  a lower  state  than  men 
and  can  never  attain  to  full  equality  with  them. 
The  aim  of  female  education  therefore  is  per- 
fect submission,  not  cultivation  and  develop- 
ment of  the  mind.”  To  us  who  are  accus- 
tomed to  the  ideals  regarding  the  education  of 
women  which  are  prevalent  in  Christian  na- 
tions to-day,  such  a standard  may  seem  low 
indeed,  but  if  it  be  compared  with  the  ideas 
which  have  been  held  on  the  subject  among 
other  non-Christian  nations,  it  will  appear  in 
a very  different  light,  and  we  shall  count  it 
greatly  to  China’s  credit  that  she  had  any 
ideals  at  all  regarding  the  instruction  of 
women.  Dr.  Williams  points  out  in  the  arti- 
cle already  referred  to  that  “ the  comparatively 
high  position  among  pagan  nations  which  has 
been  accorded  to  women  in  China  even  from 
its  earliest  history  has  been  due  in  a great 
measure  to  the  conviction  that  they  must  be 
properly  taught.” 

After  all,  however,  the  true  status  of  wom- 
an’s education  in  a nation  cannot  be  determined 
merely  by  studying  the  theories  advanced  on 
the  subject  in  the  nation’s  literature.  Theory 
and  practice  are  not  always  perfectly  in  ac- 
cord, and  Dr.  James  S.  Dennis  has  pointed  out 


20  Education  of  Women  in  China 

that  they  are  not  so  in  China.  “ There  seems,” 
he  says,  “to  be  an  incongruity  between  the 
theoretical  ideal  regarding  women  which  is 
found  in  the  literature  and  philosophy  of  China, 
and  the  every-day  practice  which  has  prevailed 
for  centuries  in  Chinese  society.  There  are 
famous  books  of  instruction  about  woman,  and 
especially  addressed  to  her,  such  as  * The  Four 
Books  for  Girls/  * The  Classics  for  Women,’ 
as  well  as  4 The  Records  of  Illustrious  Women 
of  Ancient  Times,’  but  these  literary  monitors 
seem  to  wield  only  a feeble  influence  in  real 
life,  either  over  the  minds  of  men  or  in  mould- 
ing the  lives  of  women.”  7 

Doubtless  the  great  reason  why  these  books 
of  precepts  have  done  so  little  in  moulding  the 
lives  of  those  to  whom  they  were  addressed  is 
that  the  vast  majority  could  not  read.  Women 
who  could  read  have  not  been  unknown  in 
China.  Lady  Tsao,  to  whom  reference  has  al- 
ready been  made,  is  a striking  example  of  the 
extent  to  which  the  education  of  women  has 
sometimes  been  carried.  Her  book  on  woman’s 
education  has  been  one  of  China’s  classics  for 
centuries;  she  completed  the  history  of  the 
Han  dynasty  when  her  brother  died,  leaving  it 
unfinished;  and  when  she  herself  died  she  was 

T Dennis,  Christian  Missions  and  Social  Progress, 
Vol.  II,  p.  191. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  21 

honoured  by  the  Emperor,  with  a public  burial, 
in  recognition  of  her  attainments,  and  was 
given  the  title  by  which  she  has  ever  since 
been  known,  Great  Lady  Tsao.  Dr.  Williams 
says  that  it  was  not  unusual  for  literary  men 
to  be  desirous  of  having  their  daughters  ac- 
complished in  music  and  poetry,  as  well  as  in 
the  classical  lore,  and  cites  the  example  of  one 
Yuen  Yuen,  the  governor  general  of  Canton, 
who  in  1820  published  a book  of  poems  written 
by  his  daughter.  He  points  out  that  the  names 
of  women  writers  mentioned  in  Chinese  lit- 
erature would  make  a long  list.8 

In  his  book  on  “ Court  Life  in  China,”  Dr. 
Headland  of  Peking  says : 

“ Dr.  Martin,  expressing  the  sentiments  then 
in  vogue,  said,  as  far  back  as  1877,  4 that  not 
one  in  ten  thousand  women  could  read/  In 
1893  I began  studying  the  subject  and  was  led 
at  once  to  doubt  the  statement.  The  Chinese 
in  an  offhand  way  will  agree  with  Dr.  Martin. 
But  I found  that  it  was  a Chinese  woman  who 
wrote  the  first  book  that  was  ever  written  in 
any  language  for  the  instruction  of  girls,  and 
that  the  Chinese  for  many  years  have  had 
4 Four  Books  for  Girls/  corresponding  to  the 
‘ Four  Books  5 of  the  old  regime,  and  that  they 
were  printed  in  large  editions  and  have  been 
8 Williams,  The  Middle  Kingdom , Vol.  I,  p.  573. 


22  Education  of  Women  in  China 

read  by  the  better  class  of  people  in  almost 
every  family.  In  every  company  of  women 
that  came  to  call  on  my  wife  from  1894  to 
1900,  there  was  at  least  one,  if  not  more,  who 
had  read  these  books,  while  the  Empress 
Dowager  herself  was  a brilliant  example  of 
what  a woman  of  the  old  regime  could  do. 
Where  the  desire  for  education  was  so  great 
among  women  that  as  soon  as  it  became  possi- 
ble to  do  so  she  launched  the  first  woman’s 
daily  newspaper  that  was  published  anywhere 
in  the  world,  with  a woman  as  an  editor,  we 
may  be  sure  that  there  was  more  than  one  in 
ten  thousand  during  the  old  regime  that  could 
read.”  9 

The  conclusion  which  Dr.  Headland  draws 
is  doubtless  a correct  one,  but  taking  China  as 
a whole  the  consensus  of  opinion  is  to  the  effect 
that  educated  women  have  been  exceptional. 

In  one  of  the  earliest  books  written  on 
China,  published  in  1859,  by  Mr.  Dean,  the 
first  American  Baptist  missionary  to  China,  we 
read : “ The  Chinese  classics  say  that  among 
the  ancients,  villages  had  their  schools,  dis- 
tricts their  academies,  departments  their  col- 
leges and  principalities  their  universities. 
These  are  for  the  benefit  of  the  boys,  for  while 
* Headland,  Court  Life  in  China,  Chap.  XXII,  pp. 

365  f- 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  23 

Chinese  writers  speak  of  the  importance  of 
female  education  we  never  see  their  girls  in 
school,  and  have  seldom  seen  a Chinese  woman 
who  could  read  her  own  language.  . . . The 
very  few  Chinese  women  we  have  met  who 
could  read  have  learned  from  a brother  or  fa- 
ther at  home.  A few  are  instructed  in  music 
and  embroidery,  but  the  great  mass  of  women 
in  China  are  employed  in  the  servile  occupa- 
tions of  home  or  the  toils  of  the  field.”  10 
Miss  Adele  Fielde,  one  of  the  earliest  of 
women  missionaries  to  China,  says : “ The  at- 
tainments of  women  in  literature  are  much 
lauded  and  respected.  Practically  such  attain- 
ments are  uncommon;  but  historians  refer  with 
pride  to  the  scholarship  of  a few,  and  novelists 
are  fond  of  representing  their  heroines  as 
skilled  in  writing  both  poetry  and  prose.  . . . 
Native  girls’  schools  are  almost  unknown.  . . . 
Of  women  I have  seen  few  outside  Christian 
mission  schools  who  could  read  except  those 
despised  little  girls  who  act  in  theatres.  In 
the  whole  empire  probably  not  more  than  one 
woman  in  a thousand  knows  how  to  read.”  11 
Mrs.  Calvin  Mateer’s  estimate  is  even 
smaller.  “ With  very  rare  exceptions  women 
are  never  educated.  Of  heathen  women  possi- 

10  Dean,  The  China  Mission , p.  22. 

11  Fielde,  Pagoda  Shadows,  p.  3. 


24  Education  of  Women  in  China 

bly  one  in  two  or  three  thousand  can  read.”  12 
“ Among  the  thousands  of  women  whom  we 
have  met,”  said  Mrs.  Arthur  H.  Smith  at  the 
Shanghai  Missionary  Conference  of  1890, 
“ not  more  than  ten  had  learned  to  read.  The 
daughters  of  the  rich  or  of  scholars,  instructed 
for  mere  amusement,  and  the  trifling  number 
of  those  who  have  acquired  a slight  knowledge 
of  characters  in  order  to  study  Buddhist  books, 
or  for  use  in  the  minor  sects; — these  comprise 
the  fortunate  few.” 

Mrs.  Ing,  a missionary  in  Kiukiang,  wrote 
home  in  1874,  “ When  we  came  to  Kiukiang 
three  years  since  we  could  not  by  diligent  in- 
quiry find  a woman  who  could  read.  There 
was  indeed  a vague  rumour  of  one  thus  distin- 
guished, but  where  we  could  not  learn.”13 
Miss  Howe,  telling  of  her  visits  to  the  homes 
of  the  same  city,  wrote,  “ Having  seated  my- 
self I open  my  book  and  remark,  ‘ These  are 
Chinese  characters.  Can  any  of  you  read  ? * 
Some  appear  amused,  others  surprised  at  the 
question,  while  one  or  two  put  on  an  air  of 
offended  dignity,  intended  to  very  impressively 
convey  the  impression,  ‘ No,  indeed;  I am  not 
so  strong-minded  as  that.’  ” 14 

11  Quoted  in  Dennis,  Christian  Missions  and  Social 
Progress , Vol.  II,  p.  190. 

19  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  May,  1874. 

14  Heathen  Wotnan’s  Friend,  April,  1881. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  25 

The  testimony  of  the  Chinese  themselves  is 
to  the  same  effect,  from  the  Chinese  gardener 
in  San  Jose,  who  when  asked  by  his  mistress 
what  seemed  to  him  the  most  remarkable  of 
all  the  new  things  he  had  seen  in  America, 
replied,  “ The  women  leadee,  litee  ” 15  (the 
women  read  and  write) — to  one  of  the  gentle- 
men of  the  Chinese  commission  to  the  Phila- 
delphia Centennial  in  1876,  who  lamented  the 
fact  that  the  education  of  Chinese  women  had 
“ fallen  into  disuse  ” and  attributed  America’s 
progress  to  the  fact  that  the  mothers  were  able 
to  train  their  sons  and  daughters  intelligently. 

One  catches  interesting  glimpses  of  the  sit- 
uation in  regard  to  woman’s  education  in  rec- 
ords of  the  missionary  work  of  the  early  days. 
For  example,  the  account  of  the  establishment 
of  the  Anti-foot-binding  society,  which  was 
formed  by  the  missionaries  of  Amoy  in  1874, 
states  that  those  women  who  were  willing  to 
promise  not  to  bind  their  daughters’  feet  “ put 
their  marks  ” to  a pledge  to  that  effect.16 

Mr.  Dean  tells  of  a little  Chinese  girl  from 
one  of  the  villages  near  Hongkong,  who  had 
been  taught  to  read  by  Mrs.  Johnson  of  the 
Baptist  mission,  and  had  become  a Christian 

15  Woman's  Work  for  Woman , Feb.,  1880. 

16  Dennis,  Christian  Missions  and  Social  Progress, 
Vol.  II,  p.  356. 


26  Education  of  Women  in  China 

under  her  influence.  “ This  youthful  disci- 
ple, on  returning  to  her  friends  in  the  interior, 
attracted  great  interest,”  he  writes,  “ and  it 
was  the  wonder  of  all  that  region  that  here 
was  a girl  who  could  read.  And  when  they 
came  and  listened  to  the  doctrines  which  she 
read  and  explained  from  the  Bible,  they  were 
awestricken  and  looked  upon  her  as  something 
superhuman.  It  was  at  first  feared  that  her 
friends  and  kindred,  when  they  came  to  learn 
that  she  had  forsaken  the  religion  of  her  fa- 
thers and  adopted  the  creed  of  the  foreigners, 
might  beat  or  abuse  her ; but  when  they  heard 
the  words  which  proceeded  from  her  lips  they 
were  afraid  of  her  and  treated  her  with  the 
greatest  respect.”  17 

In  another  place  Mr.  Dean  speaks  of  a young 
Chinese  gentleman,  named  Ko  A Bak,  who  had 
made  a trip  to  the  United  States,  an  almost 
unheard  of  proceeding  at  that  time.  “ Soon 
after  the  visit  of  Ko  A Bak  to  the  United 
States,”  writes  Mr.  Dean,  “ he  was  fortunate 
enough  to  find,  on  his  return  to  China,  a Chi- 
nese woman  who  had  learned  from  her  father 
how  to  read.  This  woman,  thus  distinguished 
from  the  generality  of  her  sex,  was  attracted 
by  curiosity  to  converse  with  one  of  her  coun- 
trymen who  had  travelled  abroad,  and  he  by 
1TDean,  The  China  Mission,  p.  118. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  27 

nearly  an  equal  curiosity  to  converse  with  one 
of  his  countrywomen  who  could  read  and  write 
her  own  language.”  This  acquaintance  re- 
sulted in  marriage,  and  both  became  members 
of  the  church  of  which  Mr.  Dean  had  charge. 
Mrs.  Ko  A Bak  at  once  asked  permission  to 
form  a school  for  Chinese  girls  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  mission.  “ This  request  was  joyfully 
granted,  but  with  the  thought  that  it  could  not 
be  put  into  execution,”  Mr.  Dean  says.  “ The 
Chinese  girls  had  often  been  seen  in  servile 
labour  or  idly  wasting  their  time,  and  when 
asked  by  the  missionaries  if  they  would  come 
to  school,  would  answer,  ‘ I am  a girl,’  as  much 
as  to  say,  ‘ You  don’t  expect  a girl  to  learn  to 
read ! ’ We  therefore  had  little  expectation 
that  this  Chinese  woman  would  get  up  a 
Chinese  girls’  school.  But  she  did — and  so  far 
as  we  know  it  was  the  first  of  its  kind  in  China. 
Foreign  ladies  had  taught  schools  of  Chinese 
girls,  but  for  a Chinese  woman  to  teach  a 
Chinese  girls’  school  was  something  new  under 
the  sun.  . . . The  school  went  on  and  pros- 
pered, and  the  example  of  this  woman  stimu- 
lated the  zeal  of  others.”  18 

“ For  all  practical  good,”  says  Dr.  Williams, 
“ it  may  be  said  that  half  of  the  Chinese  know 
nothing  of  books.”  Surely  when  the  percen- 
18  Dean,  The  China  Mission , p.  142. 


28  Education  of  Women  in  China 

tage  of  women  who  can  read  or  write  is  esti- 
mated at  one  in  a thousand  we  may  make  the 
general  statement  that  at  the  time  when  China 
was  opened  to  foreigners,  a little  over  a half 
century  ago,  the  women  of  the  nation  were 
illiterate  and  wholly  without  the  benefits  of 
any  education  beyond  that  which  came  in  the 
regular  round  of  their  household  and  field 
duties. 

At  this  time,  moreover,  the  Chinese  were  not 
simply  indifferent,  but  often  strenuously  op- 
posed to  the  education  of  their  daughters. 
Some  of  the  literary  men,  it  is  true,  consid- 
ered it  befitting  their  daughters’  station  to  have 
some  smattering  of  knowledge  of  music,  poe- 
try, the  classics  and  the  like,  but  they  were  a 
very  small  proportion  of  the  nation.  What- 
ever theories  her  literature  might  contain, 
China  as  a whole  saw  no  value  in  woman’s  edu- 
cation and  was  strongly  suspicious  that  its  ef- 
fect on  women  would  be  undesirable. 

Doubtless  one  of  the  main  reasons  for  this 
attitude  is  the  relatively  low  position  of  woman 
in  China.  Compared  with  the  condition  of 
women  in  other  non-Christian  countries  of  the 
world,  the  standing  of  the  Chinese  woman  is 
high,  but  in  every  non-Christian  country 
woman  is  regarded  as  distinctly  inferior  to 
man.  The  Chinese  woman  has  more  influence 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  29 

than  the  woman  of  almost  any  other  non- 
Christian  country,  partly  because  of  her  native 
force  of  character,  and  partly  because  of  the 
emphasis  on  the  virtue  of  filial  piety  and  its 
accompanying  exaltation  of  motherhood. 

At  a boy’s  school  in  Chefoo  some  years  ago 
the  subject  of  a debate  was,  “ Which  has  more 
influence,  father  or  mother?”  and  the  boys 
decided  in  favour  of  the  mother  on  the  ground 
that  she  understood  the  children  better  and 
was  more  patient  than  the  father.19  Dr.  Wil- 
liams says,  “ It  is  probably  safe  to  say  that 
no  country,  not  Christian,  can  show  in  its  legis- 
lation more  care  in  guarding  the  sacredness  of 
family  ties,  defending  the  purity  of  the  weaker 
sex,  and  providing  for  the  maintenance  of 
widows.”  20 

At  the  same  time  Confucius,  China’s  great 
seer,  says  that  it  is  “ a law  of  nature  that 
woman  should  be  kept  under  the  control  of 
man  and  not  allowed  any  will  of  her  own,”  and 
that  “ In  the  other  world  the  condition  of  af- 
fairs is  exactly  the  same,  for  the  same  laws 
govern  there  as  here.”  Such  sentiments  were 
common  enough  among  all  nations  in  those 
days,  but  the  general  immobility  of  China  has 
perpetuated  their  influence  on  the  position  of 

19  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Feb.,  1886. 

*°  Chinese  Recorder,  Jan.-Feb.,  1880. 


30  Education  of  Women  in  China 

the  Chinese  woman.  “ Eighteen  goddess-like 
daughters  are  not  equal  to  one  son  with  a 
limp  ” is  a common  proverb.  “ It  is  impossible 
to  be  more  malevolent  than  a woman,”  “ Noth- 
ing will  frighten  a wilful  wife  but  a beat- 
ing,” 21  and  other  similar  sayings,  show  how 
much  less  highly  women  are  regarded  than 
men.  Doubtless  one  of  the  chief  reasons  why 
one  half  of  the  nation  has  been  left  uneducated 
is  because  the  other  half  placed  so  low  an  esti- 
mate on  the  rights  and  value  of  the  former. 

Another  reason,  which  is  itself  in  part  the 
basis  of  the  first,  has  been  the  low  estimate  of 
woman’s  mental  ability.  * Although  the  annals 
of  Chinese  history  have  held  more  than  one 
record  of  women  whose  intellectual  achieve- 
ments have  been  of  no  mean  order,  the  average 
Chinese  saw  little  connection  between  these 
women  of  the  misty  past  and  those  of  his  fam- 
ily, if  indeed  he  ever  thought  of  the  matter 
at  all.  He  probably  regarded  such  ability  on 
the  part  of  women  much  as  most  people  of 
to-day  look  on  miracles,  as  something  belong- 
ing to  a more  or  less  remote  past  and  not  a 
part  of  the  world  in  which  they  live. 

The  story  is  told  of  a Chinese,  who  after 
listening  with  imperturbable  calm  to  the  plea 
of  a missionary  that  he  should  send  his  daugh- 

J o 

° Beach,  Daum  on  the  Hills  of  Tang,  p.  50. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  31 

ter  to  school,  pointed  to  a horse  standing 
near  by,  with  the  inquiry,  “ Can  you  teach  that 
horse  to  read  and  write  ? ” On  receiving  a 
prompt  reply  in  the  negative  he  exclaimed  with 
an  air  of  finality:  “If  you  cannot  teach  an 
intelligent  horse  what  can  you  expect  to  do 
with  a woman  ? ” One  of  the  missionaries  in 
West  China  tells  of  visiting  a Chinese  family, 
the  head  of  which  was  a fine  old  man  and  a 
Christian,  but  who  said,  when  she  proposed 
teaching  his  granddaughter,  “ Oh,  but  the 
women — they  can’t  learn.”  And  she  added, 
“ He  looked  so  full  of  pity  at  my  ignorance  in 
thinking  they  could.” 

This  unflattering  estimate  of  their  intelli- 
gence was  so  strong  that  the  girls  and  women 
themselves  accepted  it.  “ When  the  women 
are  asked  if  they  would  like  to  learn  to  read, 
the  idea  is  so  new  that  they  think  they  could 
not,  and  say,  ‘ Men  read,  but  women  work,’  ” 
says  one  of  the  Hainan  missionaries.22  The 
Mary  Porter  Gamewell  School  in  Peking  is 
now  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  schools  for 
girls  in  China,  but  when  she  whose  name  it 
now  bears  opened  it  many  years  ago,  she  had 
just  three  small  pupils,  and  very  tearful  pupils 
at  that.  When  asked  the  reason  for  their 

22  Mrs.  Gilman,  in  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman , Feb., 
1888. 


32  Education  of  Women  in  China 

distress  they  sobbed : “ We  are  crying  because 
we  have  a teacher  so  stupid  as  to  think  that 
girls  can  learn  anything  out  of  books.”  2S 

But  even  if  a girl’s  parents  could  be  con- 
vinced that  girls  could  perhaps  learn  some- 
thing out  of  books,  it  was  doubtful  whether 
they  would  agree  to  her  going  to  school.  The 
social  system  has  had  much  to  do  with  the 
lack  of  education  among  Chinese  women.  A 
girl  marries  while  still  in  her  teens,  and  there- 
after becomes  virtually  the  property  of  her  hus- 
band’s family.  Beyond  an  occasional  visit  to 
her  parents,  all  connection  writh  her  own  fam- 
ily ceases.  The  Chinese  is  nothing  if  not  prac- 
tical, and  he  feels  that  it  would  be  a great 
waste  to  have  his  daughter  educated,  since 
another  family  than  his  own  would  reap  the 
benefits  of  her  ability.  He  feels,  as  Dr.  Ar- 
thur Smith  picturesquely  puts  it,  that  it  would 
be  “ like  putting  a gold  chain  around  the  neck 
of  some  one  else’s  puppy,  which  may  at  any 
moment  be  whistled  off,  and  then  what  will 
have  become  of  the  chain.”  24  The  Chinese 
father  has  been  stimulated  to  educate  his  boy 
by  the  ambition  to  have  him  hold  a govern- 
ment position,  which  he  could  not  do  without 

**  MacGilvray,  A Century  of  Protestant  Missions  in 
China , p.  461. 

*4  Smith,  Village  Life  in  China,  p.  264. 


Woman’s  Education  Before  1842  33 

a literary  degree,  but  the  girl  has  had  no  such 
argument  as  this  to  advance.  And  if  her  par- 
ents were  poor  she  would  have  to  have  Some 
very  strong  reason  to  convince  them  that  they 
could  spare  her  as  a wage-earner,  or  a worker 
in  the  field  and  kitchen. 

There  were  practical  difficulties,  too,  for  it 
is  not  in  accordance  with  ideas  of  Chinese  pro- 
priety that  girls  should  be  seen  going  to  and 
fro  on  the  streets,  and  therefore  day  schools 
were  impracticable.  But  equally  great  diffi- 
culties presented  themselves  in  connection  with 
boarding  schools,  for  such  schools  for  girls, 
conducted  and  taught  by  men,  were  not  to  be 
thought  of,  and  there  were  practically  no  edu- 
cated women  in  the  empire  to  take  charge  of 
them.  The  outlook  for  woman’s  education 
was  not  encouraging  when,  in  1842,  the  open- 
ing of  the  treaty  ports  finally  made  it  possible 
for  Western  civilization  to  enter  China. 


II 


THE  DAY  OF  SMALL  BEGINNINGS 

THE  opportunities  of  education,  in  the 
sense  in  which  education  is  imparted 
by  means  of  books  and  schools,  were 
first  brought  to  the  women  of  China  by  the 
Christian  missionaries.  It  is  with  their  work, 
therefore,  that  the  story  of  the  new  era  in 
woman’s  education  in  China  must  begin. 

Those  who  attended  the  Morrison  Centen- 
nial Conference  held  in  Shanghai  in  1907  will 
remember  a dignified  and  venerable  Chinese 
woman,  who  on  the  day  devoted  to  women’s 
work  stood  upon  the  platform  of  Martyr 
Memorial  Hall  and  was  presented  to  the  great 
audience  there  assembled.  This  was  Mrs.  Lai- 
sun,  the  oldest  living  product  of  schools  for 
girls  in  China,  and  also,  in  all  probability,  the 
oldest  living  representative  of  the  educational 
work  done  for  Chinese  girls  in  the  years  while 
the  missionaries  were  still  waiting  outside  the 
rigidly  barred  doors  of  China. 

The  first  school  for  Chinese  girls  was  opened 
in  Singapore  in  1825  by  Miss  Grant,  an  Eng- 
34 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  35 

lish  woman.  Nine  years  later,  in  response  to 
an  appeal  made  by  the  Rev.  David  Abeel  for 
work  among  the  women  of  the  Orient,  a little 
group  of  English  women  organized  the  first 
society  ever  established  for  the  express  purpose 
of  work  for  Eastern  women.  This  organiza- 
tion was  called  “ The  Society  for  Promoting 
Female  Education  in  the  East.”  In  1837,  Miss 
Aldersey,  one  of  the  first  of  the  missionaries  of 
this  society,  landed  in  Sourabaya,  on  the  island 
of  Java,  and  there  established  a school  for 
Chinese  girls.  It  was  in  this  school  that  Mrs. 
Lai-sun  received  her  earliest  instruction.  But 
Miss  Aldersey’s  heart  was  set  on  work  in  China 
proper,  and  when,  after  the  treaty  of  1842, 
five  ports  were  finally  opened  to  foreigners, 
she  at  once  went  to  Ningpo,  where  for  some 
time  she  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first 
and  only  single  woman  missionary  in  China. 
There  in  1844  she  established  the  first  school 
for  girls  in  all  China,  and  there  Mrs.  Lai-sun, 
who  had  followed  her  teacher  from  Java,  con- 
tinued her  education. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to-day  to  form  any 
real  conception  of  the  obstacles  and  opposition 
which  this  brave  woman  had  to  meet  in  the 
establishment  of  this  pioneer  school.  Not  only 
must  she  combat  the  all-powerful  custom  which 
decreed  that  women  should  be  regarded  as 


36  Education  of  Women  in  China 

brainless  and  be  educated  simply  in  manual 
labour,  but  she  must  overcome  the  innumerable 
fears  and  suspicions  and  prejudices  which  she 
as  “ a foreign  barbarian  ” inspired.  “ Why 
had  she  come  ? ” was  a natural  question. 
Surely  she  must  have  some  ulterior  motives. 
One  rumour  was  to  the  effect  that  she  had  mur- 
dered all  her  own  children,  and  now  had  de- 
signs on  those  of  other  people.  The  mother 
of  one  of  her  pupils  came  to  the  school  in 
great  excitement  one  day,  having  been  told 
that  her  child  had  been  killed.  Even  after  she 
had  been  shown  the  little  girl,  alive  and  well, 
she  was  not  convinced,  but  took  her  daughter 
aside  and  asked  her  if  she  had  not  been  killed 
and  then  brought  back  to  life  again.  Miss 
Aldersey’s  habit  of  carrying  a bottle  of  smell- 
ing salts  with  her  when  she  took  her  daily 
constitutional,  which  would  seem  a most  nat- 
ural and  rational  proceeding  to  any  one  ac- 
quainted with  Chinese  streets,  led  to  the  belief 
that  she  was  letting  evil  spirits  out  of  the 
bottle  to  destroy  her  neighbours,  and  caused 
such  excitement  that  a procession  of  idols  was 
formed,  to  counteract  the  effect  of  the  smell- 
ing-salt demons. 

But  Miss  Aldersey  persisted  in  the  face  of 
all  difficulties,  and  by  furnishing  food  and 
clothing  for  the  children,  succeeded  in  per- 


The  Daughter  of  the  First  Pupil  of  a Mission 
School  in  East  China 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  37 

suading  some  families,  who  felt  the  pinch  of 
poverty  with  especial  keenness,  to  entrust  their 
daughters  to  her  care.  Dr.  McCartee  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  of  Ningpo  reported,  a 
year  after  her  arrival  there,  that  she  had  “a 
fine  school  of  fifteen  girls,”  and  in  1852  Rev. 
E.  W.  Syle,  who  was  visiting  Ningpo,  recorded 
in  his  diary : “ She  has  recently  rented  quite 
an  extensive  house  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
city  and  has  now  about  40  scholars  under  her 
charge,  and  if  some  of  our  friends  at  home 
could  see  how  happy  she  is  in  the  midst  of 
her  large  family  they  would  understand  that 
missionary  labours  here  are  not  all  made  up 
of  hardships.”  1 

The  girls  were  taught  “ the  common 
branches  of  education,  with  plain  needlework 
and  embroidery,  with  the  endeavour  to  fit  them 
for  the  active  duties  of  life.”  2 After  thirteen 
years  of  unceasing  labour,  Miss  Aldersey’s 
health  gave  out,  and  after  arranging  that  her 
school  should  be  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
Girls’  School  at  Ningpo,  she  reluctantly  left 
China.  But  she  left  behind  her  a corps  of 
trained  Christian  women  in  whom  she  had 
multiplied  her  life  many  fold.  “ Several  of 
the  wives  of  the  older  pastors  of  the  Ningpo 

1 Spirit  of  Missions,  March,  1852. 

2 Dean,  The  China  Mission,  p.  141. 


38  Education  of  Women  in  China 

Presbytery  and  others,  now  widows,  were  her 
pupils.” 3 From  as  far  away  as  Nanking  a 
missionary  wrote  of  one  of  the  pupils  of  this 
school : 

“ Often  wThen  I look  at  Mrs.  Zia’s  efficient 
work  I think  the  lady  who  laboured  to  make 
her  what  she  is  might  have  felt  repaid  if  she 
had  only  one  such  pupil  for  all  her  years  of 
toil.”4 

The  great  need  of  the  Chinese  girls  and 
women,  and  the  necessity  for  trained  native 
women  to  work  among  them  as  pastors’  wives, 
Bible  women  and  teachers,  were  such  strong 
arguments  for  girls’  schools  that  many  other 
missionaries  soon  followed  Miss  Aldersey’s  ex- 
ample. With  rare  courage  they  undertook  the 
seemingly  impossible  task  of  persuading  the 
Chinese  that  they  meant  only  good  to  their 
daughters,  and  of  convincing  them  that  these 
daughters  were  capable  of  education  and  well 
worthy  of  it.  It  was  a task  which  called  for 
limitless  patience  and  perseverance.  Even  the 
smallest  of  beginnings  were  made  with  great 
difficulty.  Sometimes  the  best  plan  seemed  to 
be  to  begin  work  among  girls  by  opening  a 

* The  Jubilee  Papers  of  the  Central  China  Mission 
(Presbyterian). 

4 Mrs.  Leaman,  in  Woman's  Work  for  Woman, 
March,  1889. 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  39 

day  school  for  the  children  still  so  young  as 
to  be  permitted  to  go  to  and  fro  on  the  streets 
from  their  homes  to  the  school.  A letter  from 
Mrs.  Baldwin  of  Foochow  gives  some  glimpses 
of  the  obstacles  which  had  to  be  met  before 
such  a plan  could  be  put  into  operation : 

“ During  my  first  year  here  I was  exceed- 
ingly anxious  to  have  a day  school  for  girls. 
My  home  Sunday  school  promised  me  over 
$70  a year  towards  the  support  of  a school,  so 
I went  to  work  to  get  scholars — every  one 
saying,  ‘ You  will  not  succeed  in  doing  much 
with  a girls’  day  school ; others  have  tried  and 
have  always  failed.’  I could  but  try.  I could 
not  go  into  the  street  and  visit  house  by  house, 
but  Mr.  Baldwin,  with  the  help  of  a native 
teacher,  kindly  did  it  for  me.  Still  no  one 
would  promise  to  send  the  girls  to  school — 
boys  they  would  gladly  send,  but  girls — what 
was  the  use  of  teaching  them?  Mr.  Baldwin 
came  home  feeling  very  much  discouraged, 
as  he  had  not  secured  a single  scholar.  Then 
I called  the  native  teacher  I expected  to  em- 
ploy and  told  him  that  his  having  the  place 
depended  upon  his  getting  enough  scholars  to 
open  the  school.  He  spent  two  or  three  days 
trying  to  induce  parents  of  this  ward  to  send 
their  girls,  but  in  vain.  The  usual  stories  were 
circulated  as  to  what  use  we  would  make  of 


40  Education  of  Women  in  China 

the  girls.  The  two  most  popular  are — we  want 
to  cut  them  open  and  make  opium  of  them, 
and  another,  send  them  to  Peking  and  sell 
them  to  make  medicine.  Finally  the  teacher 
said  if  I would  give  them  a few  cash  a day 
he  thought  I should  succeed.  Now  this  is  the 
general  custom,  as  the  scholars  usually  do 
something  at  home  toward  buying  their  rice; 
but  I thought  I would  see  if  I could  not  suc- 
ceed in  getting  them  without  this  fee.  I found 
there  was  no  help,  so  I said  I would  give  them 
ten  cash  each  day.  I furnish  books,  pens,  ink, 
etc.,  and  yet  must  pay  them  to  come  and  learn. 
We  at  home  are  most  happy  to  pay  for  being 
taught,  but  our  antipodes  of  course  do  the 
opposite. 

“ The  teacher,  by  the  promise  of  the  ten  cash, 
had  the  promise  of  two  scholars  and  I thought 
there  would  be  no  further  trouble.  I had  the 
school  room  put  in  order,  and  the  Saturday 
before  the  school  was  to  open,  purchased  desks 
and  put  them  into  the  room,  locking  them  up. 
The  first  news  that  greeted  me  the  next  morn- 
ing was  that  a thief  had  taken  the  lock  off 
the  schoolhouse  gate,  and  carried  off  all  my 
newly  purchased  furniture.  All  was  replaced, 
but  the  two  scholars  did  not  appear.  Still  I 
was  determined  not  to  give  up. 

“ There  is  an  old  man  who  has  done  consid- 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  41 

erable  work  for  our  mission.  ...  I heard 
that  he  knew  of  two  girls  that  wanted  to  be 
put  in  school,  so  I sent  for  him,  and  he  came 
in  a hurry,  thinking  we  had  some  work  for 
him  to  do.  I said,  4 Now,  Ming  Se,  if  you 
don’t  go  right  off  and  get  me  a sufficient  num- 
ber of  girls  to  open  my  school  and  a teacher 
that  the  parents  know  and  will  trust,  I will 
never  give  you  any  more  work  to  do  for  me.’ 
He  laughed  heartily  and  said  he  would  go  and 
get  scholars  and  teacher,  and  in  two  hours  he 
brought  me  two  nice-looking  girls  and  a 
teacher,  and  in  less  than  another  hour  I had 
the  third,  and  so  the  number  increased  from 
day  to  day  until  I now  have  in  regular  attend- 
ance from  fifteen  to  seventeen  girls.”  5 

In  some  respects  there  were  even  greater 
difficulties  in  starting  boarding  schools. 
Among  the  earliest  of  these  was  the  Girls’ 
Boarding  School  of  the  Methodist  Mission  at 
Foochow,  formerly  known  as  the  Baltimore 
Female  Seminary,  which  was  established  by 
the  Misses  Woolston  in  1859.  Dr.  R.  S. 
Maclay,  who  was  a witness  of  their  untiring 
efforts  for  the  cause  of  woman’s  education, 
says : 

“ The  attempt  to  state  all  the  difficulties, 
trials  and  discouragements  which  the  Misses 
6 Heathen  Woman’s  Friend , June,  1869. 


42  Education  of  Women  in  China 

Woolston  had  to  meet  and  overcome  in  their 
efforts  to  found  the  Baltimore  Female  Sem- 
inary would  extend  this  recital  beyond  rea- 
sonable limits;  and  yet  to  omit  all  allusion 
to  this  part  of  our  subject  would  be  at  once 
inexcusable  and  unjust.  It  is  impossible  for 
any  one  acquainted  only  with  Christian  civiliza- 
tion to  form  an  adequate  conception  of  the 
state  of  society  in  Foochow  at  the  time  now 
under  consideration;  indeed  the  progress  of 
truth  in  Foochow  since  that  period  has 
wrought  such  marked  and  beneficent  changes, 
that  even  the  missionaries  who  have  subse- 
quently entered  that  field  cannot  fully  appre- 
ciate the  severe  struggles  of  these  heroic 
pioneers  in  the  work  of  educating  and  uplift- 
ing the  women  of  China.  . . . 

“ The  Misses  Woolston  soon  found  them- 
selves in  possession  of  suitable  school  buildings 
and  the  appliances  necessary  for  the  prosecu- 
tion of  their  enterprise.  Thus  far  no  formida- 
ble obstacles  had  been  confronted.  But  the 
scene  was  totally  changed  the  moment  they 
began  in  earnest  to  seek  pupils  for  their  school. 
Then  followed  months  of  apparently  fruit- 
less efforts  to  remove  the  prejudice  of  the 
people  and  induce  them  to  patronize  the 
school. 

“ In  some  instances  the  efforts  encountered 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  43 

only  stolid  indifference,  in  others  contemptu- 
ous indignation ; while  in  still  others  they  were 
met  by  a malignant  hostility  which  found  con- 
genial employment  in  circulating  the  vilest 
slanders  concerning  the  school  and  every  per- 
son engaged  in  it.  Against  such  an  accumula- 
tion of  obstacles,  such  a combination  of  hostile 
elements,  it  might  to  less  courageous  spirits 
have  seemed  hopeless  to  continue  the  strug- 
gle.” 6 

Perseverance  was  finally  rewarded  by  one 
girl,  “ only  secured  by  allowing  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  to  come  and  remain  with 
her  to  watch  over  her  and  guard  against  her 
having  her  eyes  gouged  out,  or  being  spirited 
away  bodily  while  she  slept,  by  the  foreign 
devils.”  7 

This  little  girl  was  the  sole  attendant  of  the 
school  for  eight  days,  and  of  the  six  who 
within  the  next  few  weeks  ventured  to  follow 
her,  only  two  remained.  However,  a year 
later,  after  some  fluctuations,  the  Misses 
Woolston  were  able  to  report  eight  girls  in 
the  school.  Seven  of  these  eight  came  from 
the  peasant  class.  “ They  were  all  little 
4 daughters-in-law,’  which  means  a child  of  no 

6 Dr.  R.  S.  Maclay,  in  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend , 
Nov.,  1872. 

7 Mrs.  Plumb,  in  The  Gospel  in  All  Lands,  Feb.,  1898. 


44  Education  of  Women  in  China 

love  or  care,  so  what  did  it  matter  if  she  did 
go  to  the  despised  Christians  for  a time.”  8 

These  conditions  were  not  limited  to  one 
part  of  the  Empire.  In  1873  Miss  Gertrude 
Howe  and  Miss  Lucy  Hoag  arrived  in  Kiu- 
kiang,  a city  of  the  Yangtze  valley  about  400 
miles  from  the  coast.  Looking  back  to  the 
first  months  of  their  stay  in  China,  Miss  Howe 
said : 

“ In  the  year  1873  a Shanghai  paper  an- 
nounced that  two  spinsters  had  opened  a school 
for  girls  at  Kiukiang,  adding  also  that  in  spite 
of  liberal  offers  of  food  and  clothing  no  girls 
were  forthcoming  for  the  institution.  Speak- 
ing the  truth  has  been  called  one  of  the  fine 
arts,  and  the  writer  of  the  foregoing  approx- 
imated. It  was  January  1st,  1873,  when  the 
Misses  Hoag  and  Howe,  representatives  of 
the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  essayed  the 
opening  of  the  school  in  question.  They  had 
secured  a teacher;  he  in  turn,  as  excuse  for 
receiving  the  Mexicans  for  which  his  necessi- 
ties clamoured,  secured  two  little  girls  as  pu- 
pils. They  ran  away  before  night  but  raised 
a fair-sized  din  for  nearly  all  the  forenoon. 

. . . The  accumulated  wisdom  of  the  cen- 

8 Miss  Bonafield,  in  Woman's  Missionary  Friend, 
Feb.,  1898. 


Little  Chinese  Foundling  Girls  Adopted  by  the 
Methodist  Mission 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  45 

turies  in  this  section  of  China  reiterated  that 
book  learning  would  incapacitate  girls  in  the 
line  of  womanly  accomplishments,  such  as 
combing  the  hair  and  binding  the  feet.”  9 

In  North  China,  Miss  Browne  and  Miss 
Porter  were  meeting  with  similar  trials  in  their 
efforts  to  establish  a school  in  Peking: 
“ The  new  school  grew  slowly  in  its  pioneer 
days.  The  first  small  pupil  who  came  ran 
away  as  fast  as  her  bound  feet  could  carry  her, 
when  she  saw  the  queer-looking  foreigners. 
. . . The  Chinese  told  hideous  tales  one  to 
another,  tales  of  how  the  foreigners  removed 
the  eyes  of  Chinese  children  and  used  them 
for  medicine.  Mothers  would  hastily  cover 
the  eyes  of  their  children  when  they  met  the 
so-called  ‘ foreign  devils  ’ in  the  streets  of  Pe- 
king, lest  somehow  they  cast  an  evil  spirit  upon 
them.”  10  During  the  year  patient  effort  suc- 
ceeded in  enrolling  fifteen  girls  in  the  school, 
but  at  the  close  only  six  remained. 

From  Chef 00  came  much  the  same  story. 
“ In  my  visits  from  home  to  home,”  Miss 
Downing  wrote  in  March  of  1872,  “ I see 
many  girls  growing  up  in  sin  and  ignorance 
whom  I long  to  get,  but  their  heathen  relatives 

9 Miss  Howe,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East, 
June,  1903. 

10  Hubbard,  Under  Marching  Orders,  p.  38. 


46  Education  of  Women  in  China 

would  ‘ rather  they  would  starve  ’ than  let  them 
come  to  us.  Many  times  they  reject  our  offers 
to  train  their  girls  in  our  school,  and  sell  them 
for  slaves  or  for  worse  than  slaves.  Poor 
ignorant  people.  They  will  not  believe  we  will 
keep  our  word  with  them,  but  think  we  want 
their  girls  4 to  take  to  foreign  countries  or  to 
make  medicine  of  them/  ” 11 

When  once  a school  was  started  it  was  not 
always  easy  to  maintain  it.  The  year  after 
Mrs.  Baldwin  had  written  of  her  final  success 
in  starting  a day  school  for  girls  she  wrote 
another  letter,  in  which  she  said: 

“ I am  sorry  to  have  to  report  that  my  school 
exists  no  longer.  . . . Many  of  the  girls  had 
become  large  enough  to  pick  over  tea  and  thus 
make  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  cash  a day, 
whereas  I give  but  seven  cash.  Their  parents 
really  did  not  value  the  instruction  given,  or 
obtained,  at  any  amount;  they  have  not  the 
slightest  interest  in  the  education  of  their  girls 
and  would  not  give  a cash  toward  supporting 
a girls’  school.”  12 

The  superstitious  fears  which  made  it  hard 
to  get  pupils  at  the  outset  sometimes  died  a 
slow  death,  and  would  reappear  to  disturb  the 
peace  of  a school  which  had  seemed  to  be  pros- 

11  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Sept.,  1872. 

11  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  Jan.,  1870. 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  47 

pering.  Mrs.  Nevius  succeeded  in  establish- 
ing a girls’  school  in  Tungchow  in  1862,  but 
after  carrying  it  on  for  a time  found  that  the 
Chinese  were  regarding  it  with  great  dis- 
favour. 

“ Teaching  and  supporting  a school  of  girls 
seemed  to  them  a very  dull,  tiresome  vocation 
and  as  useless  as  it  was  dull,”  she  wrote.  “At 
last  they  found  the  clue  to  the  mystery.  We 
were  getting  these  girls  together  one  by  one 
in  a quiet,  unostentatious  way,  and  when  a 
large  number  had  been  collected  and  they  had 
been  sufficiently  improved  by  their  good  living, 
a foreign  ship  was  coming  along  and  the  ill- 
starred  maidens  were  all  to  be  sent  off  to  some 
distant  land — not  to  be  made  into  opium  but 
to  be  used  in  the  preparation  of  that  mysteri- 
ous 4 elixir  of  life  ’ which  religionists  of  the 
Taoist  sect  believe  has  the  effect  to  ensure  per- 
petual youth.  The  bodies  were  to  be  boiled 
and  from  them  would  be  expressed  a kind  of 
oil  which,  when  eaten,  has  marvellous  effects. 
I could  never  get  from  the  natives  a very  clear 
idea  of  what  they  did  believe  on  this  subject. 
But  they  were  really  frightened  and  for  a time 
it  was  impossible  to  get  more  pupils.”  13 

Needless  to  say,  the  pioneer  school  girls  of 
China  were  not  such  because  they  had  a pe- 
13  Nevius,  Our  Life  in  China,  p.  441  f. 


48  Education  of  Women  in  China 

culiarly  keen  thirst  for  knowledge,  nor  because 
they  were  preeminently  able  to  assimilate  intel- 
lectual truths,  but  rather  because  they  were 
the  only  girls  available.  Where  a little  Chris- 
tian community  had  been  built  up  before  the 
school  work  was  begun,  the  problem  was  not 
so  difficult,  for  the  Christians  had  no  fear  of 
the  foreigners  and  were  willing  to  entrust  their 
daughters  to  their  care,  even  though  they  might 
not  see  the  advantage  of  having  them  edu- 
cated. But  the  number  of  Christians  was  small 
in  those  days,  and  girls’  schools  must  have 
been  indeed  few  and  far  between  had  they  re- 
lied solely  upon  the  daughters  of  church  mem- 
bers for  their  pupils.  In  many  places,  if  any- 
thing at  all  was  to  be  done  toward  educating 
girls  it  was  necessary  to  go  out  and  scour  the 
highways  and  byways  for  possible  pupils ; chil- 
dren who  had  no  homes,  or  those  from  homes 
so  poor  that  their  parents  were  willing  to  run 
the  risk  of  sending  them  to  the  strange-looking 
foreigners,  since  they  would  thus  be  relieved  of 
their  support. 

The  Jubilee  Papers  of  the  Central  China 
Presbyterian  Mission  record  the  fact  that  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Shanghai  Girls’  School, 
“the  children  were  all  from  poor  families; 
none  others  would  allow  their  sons  or  daugh- 
ters to  come  to  us.”  A letter  from  the  Metho- 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  49 

dist  Girls’  School  at  Foochow,  in  1872,  stated 
that  “ twenty  of  the  school  girls  were  found- 
lings.” 14  Many  years  later  Miss  Bonafield 
wrote  of  the  early  days  of  that  school,  “ Only 
the  utterly  destitute  who  came  to  us  for  the 
food  and  clothing  we  furnished  could  be  per- 
suaded into  our  school.”  15  The  Congrega- 
tional School  of  the  same  city  was  built  up  in 
the  same  way.  “ Early  marriages  and  the  be- 
lief that  girls  were  not  worth  an  education 
formed  a great  barrier  to  the  growth  of  the 
school.  Hence,  in  the  beginning  it  was  neces- 
sary to  give  all  food,  clothing  and  books,  as 
well  as  incidental  and  travelling  expenses  of 
the  girls,  free  of  cost.”  16 

From  Nanking  Mrs.  Leaman  wrote  of  the 
high  ideals  of  self-supporting  pupils  with 
which  she  began  her  work,  and  how  one  by  one 
she  abandoned  her  ideals  and  was  thankful 
to  take  such  children  as  she  could  get.  “ The 
fathers  and  mothers  want  their  boys  to  learn 
to  read  and  write,”  she  wrote,  “ but  they  say 
it  is  not  worth  while  to  teach  girls,  so  I am 
obliged  to  say : 4 Let  your  little  girl  come  to  my 
school  and  I will  give  her  food  to  eat  and  a 

14  Mrs.  Sites,  in  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend , March, 
1872. 

16  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend , Jan.,  1905. 

16  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  March,  1905. 


50  Education  of  Women  in  China 

place  to  live/  and  they  will  let  her  come.”  17 
A little  farther  up  the  Yangtze  river,  in  Kiu- 
kiang,  Miss  Howe  reported,  “ The  homes  of 
most  of  the  children  are  a short  distance  in 
the  country,  the  consideration  which  brings 
them  to  us  is  the  appreciation  of  rice/,  18 
In  Peking  the  parents  who  sent  their  girls 
to  Miss  Porter’s  school  “ were  mostly  so  poor 
that  they  would  accept  any  means  to  relieve 
themselves  of  feeding  and  clothing  one  more 
little  body.  Sometimes  the  girls  were  left  in 
school  only  long  enough  to  receive  new  warm 
clothing,  when  they  were  taken  home.” 19 
When  in  1864  Airs.  Bridgman  established  a 
school  for  girls  in  Peking  “a  mother  with 
three  bright  daughters  was  found  begging  in 
the  streets  and  the  children  were  brought  to 
Airs.  Bridgman  by  a Scotch  missionary,  Rev. 
Air.  Burns.”  20  These  three  children  with  one 
other  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  present  Bridg- 
man School. 

In  Chefoo  Miss  Downing  wrote  to  a Alis- 
sionary  Band  in  Rock  Island,  which  had  under- 
taken the  support  of  a child  in  her  school: 
14  This  little  girl  was  a slave  bought  from  a 

17  Children's  Work  for  Children,  Feb.,  1882. 

18  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,  Sept.,  1873. 

lf  Hubbard,  Under  Marching  Orders,  p.  38. 

*°  Life  and  Light  for  Woman,  Feb.,  1880. 


Mrs.  Lai-sun,  a Pupil  in  the  First  School  for 
Girls  Established  in  China 


The  Day  of  Small  Beginnings  51 

bad  woman  who  had  become  ill  and  sold  this 
child  to  get  money  to  buy  medicine.  I do  not 
know,  nor  does  she,  what  her  father’s  name 
was.  ...  I have  another  little  slave  girl  who 
is  very  pretty.  Of  her  parents  we  know 
nothing.”  21 

Such  were  the  pioneer  school  girls  of  China ; 
the  children  of  the  poorest  of  the  poor,  whose 
parents  had  to  be  bribed  to  send  them  by  prom- 
ises of  food  and  clothing;  the  homeless  found- 
lings whom  no  one  but  the  missionaries 
wanted;  and  despised  little  slave  girls.  This 
was  the  material  with  which  the  believers  in 
Chinese  womanhood  must  prove  to  custom- 
bound,  conservative  China  that  her  daughters 
were  as  capable  and  worthy  of  education  as 
were  her  sons. 

21  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Jan.,  1874. 


Ill 


THE  PERIOD  OF  GRADUAL  GROWTH 

u /T  ARY  will  not  give  up,”  said  the 
I mother  of  Mary  Lyon,  in  the  days 
when  her  daughter  was  making 
the  brave  struggle  which  finally  ended  trium- 
phantly in  the  establishment  of  Mount  Hol- 
yoke. “ She  just  walks  the  floor  and  says  over 
and  over  again,  when  all  is  so  dark,  4 Commit 
thy  way  unto  the  Lord,  trust  also  in  Him, 
and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass.  Women  must 
be  educated — they  must  be.’  ” 1 

It  was  with  the  same  high  spirit,  the  same 
determination,  born  of  deep  conviction,  that 
the  pioneers  in  woman’s  education  in  a coun- 
try on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific  faced,  a 
few  years  later,  even  greater  prejudice,  even 
more  discouraging  obstacles,  than  those  which 
Mary  Lyon  had  to  meet.  Such  a spirit  ac- 
knowledges no  defeat.  “ The  women  of  China 
must  be  educated — they  must  be,”  said  those 
who  had  given  their  lives  to  the  uplift- 
ing of  Chinese  womanhood,  and  set  themselves 
to  the  accomplishment  of  their  great  task  with 

1 Gilchrist,  Life  of  Mary  Lyon,  p.  235. 

52 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  53 

a faith  which  stood  the  test  of  months  and 
often  years  of  apparently  wasted  effort.  And 
in  due  season,  little  by  little,  they  were  able  to 
see  that  their  cause  had  progressed. 

Gradually,  as  it  became  evident  that  the 
small  scholars  in  the  girls’  schools  were  not 
being  used  for  medicinal  purposes,  nor  borne 
off  to  faraway  countries,  but  were,  on  the  con- 
trary, very  prosperous  and  well-fed  persons, 
the  fears  of  the  people  subsided  and  it  became 
much  less  difficult  to  secure  pupils.  Moreover, 
the  girls  who  had  finished  their  study  and  gone 
back  to  their  home  villages  to  take  a helpful 
part  in  the  life  of  the  community,  did  much 
to  win  favour  for  their  Alma  Maters.  “ Our 
sending  girls  out  of  school  to  go  back  to  their 
own  homes  has  done  a great  deal  to  break  down 
native  prejudice,” 3 Miss  YVoolston  wrote 
home  after  eighteen  years  of  work  in  Foo- 
chow. 

The  Girls’  School  of  the  Methodist  Mission 
in  Foochow,  which  began  with  one  much 
frightened  little  girl,  reported  an  attendance  of 
thirty  in  1872,  and  proposed  to  increase  its 
capacity  that  more  might  be  accommodated. 
“ There  is  now  no  difficulty  in  procuring  just 
the  kind  of  pupils  we  desire,  and  as  many  as 
we  can  accommodate,”  one  of  the  missionaries 
2 Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  July,  1877. 


54  Education  of  Women  in  China 

wrote.3  In  1887  the  teachers  reported:  “We 
must  refuse  about  twenty  applicants  this  term, 
for  we  dare  not  put  more  than  sixty  girls  into 
our  present  building,”  4 and  in  1898  Miss 
Bonafield  wrote,  “ Last  term  one  hundred  and 
eleven  boarders  and  thirty-three  day  pupils 
were  enrolled.  We  no  longer  need  to  canvass 
for  students,  but  on  the  other  hand  are  over- 
whelmed with  applicants.”  5 In  the  year  1897 
fifty  applicants  had  to  be  refused  admission. 

In  Kiukiang  similar  growth  was  recorded. 
In  1877,  f°ur  years  after  the  work  was  begun, 
not  only  did  the  boarding  school  number  thirty- 
one  pupils,  but  a successful  day  school  of 
thirteen  girls  wTas  opened  in  a village  near 
Kiukiang.6  Six  years  after  that  Miss  Howe 
wrote  that  she  had  fifty  pupils  and  was  daily 
turning  away  applicants  because  she  could  not 
accommodate  more.7 

In  North  China,  too,  fears  and  prejudices 
were  disappearing.  In  1879  Miss  Cushman,  in 
charge  of  the  school  founded  by  Miss  Porter 
and  Miss  Browne,  wrote:  “To-day  a woman 
came  with  a little  girl  who  is  very  anxious  to 

* Dr.  R.  S.  Maclay,  in  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend , 
Nov.,  1872. 

4 Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  Sept.,  1887. 

6 Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Feb.,  1898. 

6 Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  Oct.,  1884. 

7 Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  July,  1883. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  55 

come  to  school.  We  hardly  know  what  to  do 
about  her.  So  many  girls  are  anxious  to 
come  that  we  have  a chance  for  selection,  and 
she  is  rather  younger  than  we  care  to  take,  at 
least  we  prefer  older  girls.  She  is  eight. 
While  we  wish  to  get  the  most  desirable  girls 
possible  in  our  school,  it  is  hard  to  say  to 
any  little  pleader,  4 We  don’t  want  you.’  ” 8 
In  1884  this  school  had  forty-eight  pupils, 
and  it  was  reported  also  that  two  day  schools 
for  girls  had  been  maintained  during  the  year.9 

From  Chefoo  came  word  in  1887:  “ At  the 
last  Chinese  New  Year  a number  of  applicants 
had  to  be  refused  for  want  of  accommoda- 
tion.” 10 

As  the  schools  increased  in  popularity,  those 
in  charge  of  them  dared  to  begin  to  wonder 
whether  it  was  not  now  time  to  require  some 
return  for  value  received.  The  beginnings  of 
self-support  were  very  small,  but  even  the 
smallest  of  beginnings  was  regarded  as  a great 
step  in  advance  over  the  days  when  “ the  little 
girls  one  by  one  were  drawn  into  our  boarding 
schools  with  the  bait  of  providing  everything — 
food,  clothing,  instruction,  homes — all  free, 

8 Heathen  Woman’s  Friend , Dec.,  1879. 

9 Mrs.  Jewell,  in  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  Jan., 

1885. 

10  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Feb.,  1887. 


56  Education  of  Women  in  China 

and  we  were  thankful  for  every  child  rescued 
in  this  way.”  The  missionaries  had  never 
been  unmindful  of  the  disadvantages  of  this 
system,  but  in  the  first  years  it  seemed  a neces- 
sary evil.  As  soon  as  feasible,  however,  they 
began  to  take  steps  in  the  opposite  direction. 
A letter  received  from  the  girls’  school  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  at  Ningpo  in  1878  read: 
“ Formerly  every  girl  on  graduating  from  the 
school  received  twenty  dollars  outfit  money. 
Now  they  do  not  receive  anything  and  all  the 
clothes  are  furnished  by  the  parents  except  two 
sets  of  underclothes  for  each  girl.”  11 

A few  years  later  the  school  under  the  Bap- 
tist Mission  in  the  same  city  reported : “ A new 
departure  has  been  made  in  the  regulation  for 
admitting  girls.  We  have  decided  to  require 
the  parents  to  pay  something  toward  the  sup- 
port of  their  daughters.  Let  the  amount  be 
ever  so  small  something  must  be  paid.  Under 
these  regulations  three  girls  entered  last  fall, 
one  paying  a dollar  a month,  one  fifty  cents 
and  the  third  two  and  a half  cents.”  12  Truly 
this  was  the  day  of  small  beginnings  in  the 
matter  of  self-support,  but  when  a great  prin- 

11  Miss  Ketchum,  in  Woman's  Work  for  Woman, 
July,  1878. 

12  Miss  Inveen,  in  Annual  Report  of  Woman’s  Baptist 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  West  for  1889. 


The  Class  of  1909,  Rulison-Fish  Memorial  School,  Kiukian, 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  57 

ciple  is  involved  even  the  sum  of  two  and  a 
half  cents  a month  assumes  importance. 

In  Foochow,  the  parents  of  the  pupils  in 
the  school  of  the  Methodist  Mission  were  grad- 
ually educated  to  the  point  of  furnishing  their 
daughters’  clothing,  “ later  on  books  were 
added,  then  a small  tuition  fee.”  13 

“ Formerly  their  clothing  as  well  as  food 
was  provided  by  the  school,  but  now  the  par- 
ents give  their  clothing — a great  advance,”  14 
one  of  the  Chef 00  missionaries  wrote  in  1888, 
and  ten  years  later  it  was  reported  that  one 
country  school  of  seven  girls  supported  itself 
entirely.15 

In  Peking  the  Bridgman  School  made  the 
furnishing  of  clothes  by  the  parents  the  first 
of  a series  of  entrance  requirements,  and  Mrs. 
Jewell,  in  charge  of  the  Methodist  School  in 
Peking,  wrote  in  1885,  “ Our  attention  has 
been  especially  called  to  the  desirability  of 
annexing  an  industrial  department  to  the 
boarding  school,  desirable,  we  believe  . . . 
because  it  will  be  a step  in  the  direction  of  self- 
support.”  16 

This  plan  commended  itself  to  many  schools, 

13  Miss  Bonafield,  in  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend, 
Feb.,  1898. 

14  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Feb.,  1888. 

10  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Sept.,  1898. 

10  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  Jan.,  1885. 


58  Education  of  Women  in  China 

both  because  of  the  wholesome  effect  produced 
on  the  girls  by  the  consciousness  that  they  were 
giving  as  well  as  receiving,  and  because  it 
helped  to  counteract  the  feeling  so  common 
among  the  Chinese,  that  manual  labour  was 
beneath  the  dignity  of  a student.  The  Pres- 
byterian School  in  Shanghai  was  one  of  the 
first  to  adopt  the  plan.  The  pupils  “ did  all 
their  owrn  work,  such  as  cooking,  washing, 
taking  care  of  the  rooms,  etc.,”  and  the  girls 
“ worked  at  spinning,  weaving,  making  and 
mending  clothes,  knitting,  crocheting,  embroid- 
ering, etc.,  and  at  one  time  at  silk  culture.”  17 
As  early  as  1876  Mrs.  Capp  of  Tungchow 
wrote,  “ I have  adopted  a new  plan  with  the 
scholars  of  my  school.  They  give  me  from 
half-past  one  to  three  every  day,  w^hen  I re- 
quire them  to  wrork  at  something  that  will 
add  to  the  school  treasury.  They  know  how 
to  do  some  kinds  of  embroidery,  and  to  make 
tidies,  etc.  All  but  four  can  spin.  ...  If  they 
do  not  make  much  money  they  will  at  least 
think  they  are  giving  something  in  return  for 
what  they  receive.”  18 

In  the  Baptist  School  at  Ningpo  the  older 
girls  gave  half  the  day  to  studies,  the  other 
half  to  torchon  lace  making.  As  a result  of 

17  Jubilee  Papers  of  Central  China  Mission,  p.  55. 

11  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman,  Jan.,  1877. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  59 

their  work  the  teacher  in  charge  was  enabled 
to  report,  “ They  have  been  able  to  pay  all  their 
own  expenses  and  clothe  themselves.”  19 

Since  so  large  a proportion  of  the  pupils  in 
the  girls’  schools  of  China,  during  the  past 
century,  came  from  homes  of  very  small 
means,  the  efforts  of  the  missionaries  in  the 
direction  of  self-support  were  not  undertaken 
for  the  sake  of  adding  to  the  school  treasury. 
Their  aim  was  rather  to  awaken  a spirit  of 
appreciation  of  benefits  received,  on  the  part 
of  parents  and  pupils,  and  a sturdy  self-respect 
which  would  be  unwilling  to  receive  those  bene- 
fits without  any  effort  to  give  something  in 
payment  for  them.  When  this  spirit  was  mani- 
fested they  were  well  content,  however  small 
the  payment. 

In  reporting  a meeting  of  the  native  Baptist 
Church  of  Swatow  Dr.  Ashmore  wrote, 
“ What  interested  me  more  than  anything  else 
was  the  action  taken  by  the  church  in  favour 
of  schools.  The  moderator  in  a few  well- 
chosen  words  put  before  them  the  duty  of  be- 
ginning, at  least,  to  cooperate  in  the  work  so 
often  pressed  upon  their  attention,  and  told 
them  the  church  should  do  something  as  a 
church,  not  only  for  the  education  of  their 

19  Miss  Corbin,  in  Annual  Report  of  Woman’s  Baptist 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  West  for  1899. 


60  Education  of  Women  in  China 

boys,  but  of  their  girls  as  well;  and  further 
that  in  the  future  there  should  be  a school  for 
both  boys  and  girls  which  they  could  say  was 
theirs.  Accordingly,  they  voted  to  pay  out  of 
their  collection  fund  a part  of  the  salary  of 
one  teacher  for  boys  and  another  for  girls. 

“ True,  the  amount  given  would  not  go  far, 
but  getting  a start  with  the  wedge  in  this 
crevice  is  a great  gain.  Mrs.  Partridge  had 
already  commenced  a girls’  school  and  would 
have  continued  it  had  they  not  taken  such 
action,  . . . but  she  gladly  welcomes  the  ex- 
pression of  interest  in  a girls’  school  which 
has  never  been  given  in  the  past,  and  which 
we  hope  will  lead  to  important  results  in  the 
future.”  20 

Perhaps  the  genuine  appreciation  of  the 
students,  and  their  desire  to  give  practical  ex- 
pression to  their  gratitude  for  the  opportuni- 
ties which  the  schools  afforded  them,  were  even 
more  gratifying  to  their  teachers  than  the 
awakening  interest  of  the  parents.  Soon  after 
the  girls  of  the  Ningpo  Baptist  School  had  be- 
gun their  lace  making,  their  teacher  wrote  that 
one  girl  had  paid  up  her  school  dues  for  the 
preceding  year,  which  her  father  had  failed 
to  pay,  and  that  another,  who  had  hitherto  been 
helped  by  a missionary  society  in  America, 
Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  Feb.,  1875. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  61 

brought  all  her  first  earnings,  except  a few 
cents,  to  the  principal,  saying  that  she  wanted 
to  pay  it  back  to  the  school,  that  it  might  be 
used  to  help  other  girls.21 

From  the  Methodist  School  in  Foochow  Miss 
Jewell  wrote  of  two  of  her  older  girls:  “I 
asked  them  to  take  the  matron’s  place  in  caring 
for  the  little  ones  as  far  as  they  could.  The 
work  involved  some  disagreeable  duties  and 
would  require  considerable  of  their  time.  As 
I stated  what  we  wanted  they  said  they  were 
willing  to  do  it,  and  would  help  the  best  they 
could.  But  when  I offered  a small  remunera- 
tion, feeling  that  they  really  needed  the  money, 
and  knowing  that  they  would  certainly  earn 
it,  they  answered, 

“‘No,  no!  Don’t  say  anything  about 
money.  We  don’t  want  to  hear  such  words; 
we  are  in  the  school  and  we  ought  to  do  this 
if  we  can  help.’ 

“ ‘ Yes,  but  you  are  already  doing  as  much 
as  any  of  the  girls,  and  I fear  you  must  have 
your  sewing  done.’ 

“ ‘ Please  just  let  us  try  to  do  it,  and  don’t 
pay  us  for  it.’ 

“ So  seeing  how  much  better  satisfied  they 
would  be  to  do  the  work  for  Christ’s  sake,  and 

31  Miss  Corbin,  in  Annual  Report  of  Woman’s  Baptist 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  West  for  1899. 


62  Education  of  Women  in  China 

rejoicing  at  the  spirit  they  displayed,  I said 
we  would  just  let  them  try  for  a month  and 
then  see.”  22 

A teacher  in  one  of  the  schools  in  Peking 
wrote,  “One  girl  spent  much  time  and  labour 
over  a piece  of  needlework.  When  completed 
she  wanted  the  money  for  it  to  help  pay  the 
debt  of  a schoolmate  who  was  too  poor  to  pay 
the  debt  herself.”  This  spirit  was  evidently 
characteristic  of  the  school.  “ A former  pupil 
who  had  been  married  to  a heathen  came  back 
to  us  one  day,  dirty  and  penniless,”  the  writer 
continued.  “ The  girls  took  her  in,  cleaned  her 
up  and  gave  her  clothes  out  of  their  own  small 
store.  They  sent  her  away,  not  only  with 
the  clothes  she  was  wearing,  but  with  a bundle 
besides.”  23 

In  St.  Mary’s,  a girls’  school  in  Shanghai 
under  the  American  Episcopal  Mission,  the 
girls  learned  to  be  very  skilful  in  embroider)' 
and  lace  making,  and  devoted  the  proceeds  of 
their  labour  to  the  cause  of  education. 
“ Early  this  morning,”  a newly  arrived  mis- 
sionary wrote,  “ I started  with  Miss  Dodson 
and  Mrs.  Tsang  to  drive  to  the  day  school  in 
the  native  city,  which  the  St.  Mary’s  girls  are 

**  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  Oct.,  1887. 

**  Miss  Young,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
Dec.,  1902. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  63 

supporting  by  their  embroideries,  laces,  etc. 
They  have  another  school  of  this  kind  in 
Kiading  which  they  support  in  this  way  and 
which  shows  a beautiful  spirit  of  loving  and 
faithful  devotion  and  service,  for  they  have  to 
work  hard  to  meet  the  expenses  of  these  little 
mission  schools.”  24 

When  the  schools  were  first  opened  the  work 
done  in  them  was  inevitably  very  rudimentary. 
Lack  of  textbooks  was  a very  serious  difficulty. 
“ There  was  neither  Testament  nor  primer,” 
says  a writer  on  the  early  days  of  the  Bridg- 
man School  at  Peking.  English  was  not 
taught  in  those  days  and  the  pupils  had  to 
wait  for  textbooks  to  be  written  or  translated, 
before  they  could  study  much  of  anything 
beyond  reading  and  writing. 

Lack  of  teachers  was  another  great  prob- 
lem. No  foreigner  could  teach  the  children 
to  read  and  write  the  intricate  characters  of 
which  the  Chinese  language  is  composed. 
Chinese  teachers  were,  and  are,  necessary  for 
this  branch  of  the  work.  In  the  beginning  of 
school  work  there  were  no  Chinese  who  knew 
how  to  teach  in  any  other  way  than  that  which 
had  been  used  in  China  for  centuries.  Dr. 
Arthur  Smith  describes  this  method: 

“ The  teacher  reads  over  the  line  and  the 
24  Miss  Mosher,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  Aug.,  1897. 


64  Education  of  Women  in  China 

lad  repeats  the  sounds,  constantly  corrected 
until  he  can  pronounce  them  properly.  He 
then  learns  to  associate  a particular  sound 
with  a certain  shape.  A line  or  two  is  assigned 
to  each  scholar,  and  after  the  pronunciation 
of  the  characters  has  been  ascertained  his 
4 study  ’ consists  in  bellowing  the  words  in  as 
high  a key  as  possible.  . . . When  the  scholar 
can  repeat  the  whole  of  his  task  without  miss- 
ing a single  character,  his  lesson  is  4 learned  * 
and  he  then  stands  with  his  back  to  the  teacher 
— to  make  sure  he  does  not  see  the  book — 
and  recites,  or  4 backs  ’ it,  at  railway  speed. 
. . . The  attention  of  the  scholar  is  fixed  ex- 
clusively upon  two  things, — the  repetition  of 
the  characters  in  the  same  order  as  they  occur 
in  the  book,  and  the  repetition  of  them  at  the 
highest  attainable  rate  of  speed.  Sense  and 
expression  are  not  merely  ignored,  for  the 
words  represent  ideas  which  have  never  once 
dawned  upon  the  Chinese  pupil’s  mind.  His 
sole  thought  is  to  make  a recitation.  . . . But 
if  the  passage  has  been  imperfectly  committed, 
and  the  pupil  is  brought  to  a standstill  for  the 
lack  of  characters  to  repeat,  he  does  not  pause 
to  collect  his  thoughts,  for  he  has  no  thoughts 
to  collect — has  in  fact  no  thoughts  to  speak 
of.  What  he  has  is  a dim  recollection  of  cer- 
tain sounds,  and  in  order  to  recall  those  which 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  65 

he  has  forgotten  he  keeps  on  repeating  the 
last  word,  or  phrase,  or  sentence,  or  page, 
until  association  regains  the  missing  link.”  23 
As  teachers  of  such  a method  were  the  only 
ones  obtainable,  it  was  necessarily  imported 
into  the  girls’  schools  of  the  early  days.  “ For 
several  years  after  the  school  was  established 
very  little  teaching  was  done  excepting  by  the 
native  master,”  reads  a report  of  the  Bridgman 
School  at  Peking.  “ Nothing  more  could  be 
expected  of  him  than  that  he  would  require 
the  girls  to  commit  to  memory  such  books  as 
were  placed  in  their  hands.  They  studied  in 
the  usual  Chinese  way,  aloud  and  all  together, 
so  the  school  was  a small  Babel,  and  the  prog- 
ress in  anything  but  ability  to  read  the  Chi- 
nese character  was  very  small.”  26 

Inevitably  the  memory  was  developed  to  a 
much  greater  extent  than  the  reasoning  pow- 
ers. The  school  girls  performed  prodigious 
feats  of  memory,  but  did  little  work  of  such 
a character  as  to  develop  powers  of  inde- 
pendent thought.  An  account  of  a semi-annual 
examination  of  the  Bridgman  School,  for  ex- 
ample, reads : “ One  of  the  girls  finished  mem- 
orizing the  New  Testament  and  I think  now 
could  repeat  almost  any  Chapter  in  it.  She 

25  Smith,  Village  Life  in  China,  pp.  80  f. 

20  Life  and  Light  for  Women,  Feb.,  1880. 


66  Education  of  Women  in  China 


has  also  learned  the  Psalms.  All  were  exam- 
ined on  some  portion  of  Scripture  committed 
to  memory  and  some  division  of  Scripture  his- 
tory studied  by  topics.  Besides  the  Chinese 
classics,  arithmetic  and  geography  and  a sim- 
ple manual  of  theology  were  studied  by  the 
older  girls.  They  write,  too,  the  native  char- 
acter and  Romanized  colloquial.”  27 

An  examination  was  held  in  the  Methodist 
School  of  the  same  city  a year  later,  at  which 
the  girls  were  examined  in  Bible  history,  the 
Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  arithmetic,  Roman- 
ized characters,  the  Chinese  classics,  and  mem- 
orized Scripture  passages.  “ The  amount  re- 
cited in  these  books  would  be  marvellous,” 
said  one  of  the  audience,  referring  to  the  reci- 
tation on  the  Chinese  classics,  “ but  as  it  is 
in  accordance  with  the  Chinese  style  of  educa- 
tion we  suppose  they  inherit  their  great  power 
of  memory.  Twelve  girls  recited  classics  and 
were  marked  as  follows: 


2 girls 

100  each 

5 g'rls  . 

99  each 

1 girl  . 

...  98 

1 girl  . 

...  96 

3 girls  • 

95  each 

*T  Miss  Porter,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Women,  July, 
1876. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  67 

“ Then  sixteen  girls  recited  Scripture,  most 
of  them  having  the  entire  books  of  the  Gospels 
by  heart,  as  was  proved  by  the  readiness  with 
which  they  struck  in  anywhere  and  recited  on 
and  on  until  called  upon  to  stop  because  of  our 
want  of  time.  They  were  marked  as  follows : 

“ 4 girls  . . . . 100  each 

10  girls  ....  99  each 

2 girls  ....  97  each  ” 28 

These  pupils  are  reported  to  have  done  very 
well  in  their  arithmetic  examinations  also,  but 
that  subject  was  the  only  one  in  their  curricu- 
lum which  tended  to  develop  reasoning  powers. 

Very  probably  one  of  the  main  reasons  why 
the  schools  did  not  include  among  their  courses 
more  of  those  which  would  develop  ability  to 
reason,  and  thus  counteract  to  some  extent  the 
evil  tendencies  of  the  utter  lack  of  this  train- 
ing on  the  part  of  Chinese  teachers,  was  that 
the  aim  of  these  schools  was  not  so  much  to 
train  the  intellectual  powers  as  to  produce 
Christian  character.  It  was  self-evident  that 
the  strength  and  beauty  of  such  character 
would  be  a supremely  important  element  in  the 
usefulness  of  these  girls  in  after  life ; it  was  less 
apparent  that  the  ability  to  see  clearly  and 
28  Heathen  Woman's  Friend , Sept.,  1877. 


68  Education  of  Women  in  China 


think  accurately  would  add  greatly  to  their  in- 
fluence and  power  as  Christian  women. 

“ My  one  desire  in  this  school,”  said  one 
earnest  woman,  “ is  to  impart  instruction 
which  with  God’s  blessing  will  bring  those 
committed  to  my  care  to  Christ.  I will  not 
think  of  the  higher  education,  so  called.  I 
want  them  to  know  nature's  God  before  they 
learn  nature  and  her  laws,  and  I want  them  to 
learn  the  language  of  Canaan  before  they  learn 
my  mother  tongue.”  29 

The  courses  of  study  followed  in  other 
schools  indicate  that  similar  views  were  held 
by  many  others  of  the  early  educators.  “ They 
studied  the  4 Three  Character  Classic  ’ (a 
Christian  book)  and  ‘ The  Two  Friends  ’ (also 
a Christian  book)  for  which  was  afterward  ex- 
changed a life  of  Joseph,”  reads  an  account 
of  the  opening  years  of  the  Ningpo  Presby- 
terian School.  “ On  Sunday  they  studied  the 
Lord’s  Prayer,  Ten  Commandments  and 
Milne’s  sermons.  They  also  daily  spent  some 
time  in  sewing  and  knitting.”  30 

The  little  girls  in  the  school  at  Shanghai 
under  the  Episcopal  Mission  spent  the  first 
hour  of  their  school  day  in  the  study  of  the 
Gospels  in  the  local  dialect.  “ They  then  par- 

* Woman's  Work  for  Woman,  Dec.,  1884. 
m Jubilee  Papers  of  the  Central  China  Mission. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  69 

take  of  their  simple  morning  meal,”  the  ac- 
count continues,  “ and  are  employed  in  a va- 
riety of  household  and  domestic  matters  until 
half-past  eight,  when  they  assemble  for 
prayers.  From  nine  to  twelve  they  are  again 
in  school  and  during  these  hours  find  employ- 
ment in  learning  to  read  and  to  write  their 
native  language,  both  according  to  the  written 
colloquial  style,  and  the  study  of  a variety  of 
catechisms  on  Christian  Doctrine  and  such  ele- 
mentary works  on  useful  subjects  as  we  have 
been  able  to  have  prepared  for  them.”  31  The 
afternoons  were  spent  in  sewing,  embroidery, 
etc. 

Mrs.  Sites  wrote  of  the  work  in  the  Metho- 
dist School  at  Foochow : “ Their  school  books 
are  the  Bible  and  other  Christian  books,  a very 
nice  geography  with  atlas  unbound,  a primary 
arithmetic  and  a primary  astronomy.”  32  Ele- 
mentary astronomy  seems  to  have  been  a fa- 
vourite subject  from  the  first,  probably  because 
it  helped  to  correct  many  superstitious  beliefs. 

Gradually  the  course  of  study  became 
broader.  It  is  a very  interesting  fact  that  in 
one  of  the  most  progressive  of  the  schools,  that 
of  the  Methodist  Mission  in  Foochow,  the 
broadening  came  as  a result  of  a strong  desire 

31  Spirit  of  Missions,  Jan.,  1856. 

82  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend,  March,  1872. 


70  Education  of  Women  in  China 

on  the  part  of  the  Chinese,  and  against  the 
judgment  of  the  women  in  charge  of  the 
school.  At  a meeting  of  the  General  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  the  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
in  the  year  1883,  “ a memorial  asking  for  a 
more  liberal  education  for  their  girls  was  read, 
written  by  the  native  pastors  of  the  Foochow 
conference.  The  paper  urged  a candid  hear- 
ing of  both  sides  of  this  question.  . . . This 
letter  was  very  strongly  put  and  abounded  in 
Oriental  figures.”  33  The  majority  of  the  mis- 
sion in  Foochow  were  in  sympathy  with  this 
desire  of  the  Chinese,  and  the  Board  at  home 
decided  that  these  changes,  prominent  among 
which  was  the  introduction  of  English  and 
music,  should  be  made.  The  missionaries  in 
charge  felt  so  strongly  that  this  was  a mistake 
that,  although  they  had  established  the  school 
and  had  conducted  it  successfully  for  twenty- 
five  years,  they  now  resigned  their  positions. 
The  step  in  advance  proved  to  have  been  a 
wise  one,  however,  and  other  schools  soon 
came  to  feel  that  Christianity  could  be  taught, 
and  character  developed,  fully  as  well  in  a 
school  with  a liberal  course  of  study,  as  in  one 
with  a restricted  curriculum,  and  that  the 
broadly  educated  woman  could  do  more  for  the 

•*  Heathen  Woman* s Friend,  Dec.,  1883. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  71 

Kingdom  of  God  than  she  whose  knowledge 
was  confined  to  rigidly  prescribed  limits. 

A noted  Chinese  pastor  of  Foochow,  Rev. 
Sia  Sek  Ong,  traced  the  development  of 
woman’s  education  in  Foochow,  from  its  be- 
ginnings until  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, in  characteristic  Chinese  figure.  The  fig- 
ure is  applicable  not  alone  to  the  work  in 
Foochow  but  to  the  work  throughout  the  Em- 
pire. He  says : “ When  the  missionaries  first 
came  to  Foochow  the  people  were  so  nearly 
dead  with  spiritual  famine  that  they  could  not 
help  themselves  in  any  way.  The  missionaries 
had  to  cook  the  rice  and  feed  them.  After 
they  had  gained  a little  strength  they  were 
made  to  do  their  own  cooking.  This  was  in 
the  reign  of  colloquial  books,  when  the  ele- 
mentary sciences  were  taught  along  with  the 
Bible.  Later  on,  when  fairly  well  and  strong, 
they  were  given  rice  seed  and  implements  of 
agriculture  in  order  to  raise  their  own  food.”34 
This  was  in  the  last  days  of  the  century,  when 
to  the  Christian  teaching  were  added  sciences 
and  the  classics,  taught,  not  in  the  colloquial, 
but  in  the  classical  language. 

“ Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East  ” for 
May,  1900,  gives  the  curricula  of  five  repre- 
sentative schools  for  girls  under  American 
34  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Feb.,  1898. 


72  Education  of  Women  in  China 

mission  boards  in  southern,  eastern,  northern, 
and  central  China.  A study  of  them  shows 
something  of  the  progress  which  woman’s  edu- 
cation in  China  had  made  in  the  days  of  grad- 
ual growth  since  Miss  Aldersey  established  her 
pioneer  school  fifty-six  years  before.  These 
curricula,  carefully  planned  to  cover  a term 
averaging  eight  years,  are  in  themselves  prom- 
inent evidences  of  growth. 

These  graded  schools  are  proof  also  of 
growth  in  stability.  Pupils  were  not  drop- 
ping out  by  the  way  as  in  the  old  days.  Par- 
ents had  come  to  value  this  education  for 
their  daughters  as  they  did  not  at  first,  and 
were  not  so  apt  to  take  them  out  for  early  mar- 
riages, or  in  order  that  they  might  take  their 
part  in  adding  to  the  family  income.  Many  of 
the  girls  now  came  from  Christian  homes 
where  the  parents  sympathized  with  their  de- 
sire for  education. 

One  step  in  advance  which  helped  to  keep 
the  girls  throughout  the  entire  course  was  the 
giving  of  diplomas  and  the  celebration  of 
graduation  exercises  when  the  work  had  been 
completed.  The  Presbyterian  School  in 
Shanghai  was  the  first  to  do  this,  in  1896.  At 
that  time  three  girls  were  presented  with  di- 
plomas, and  graduation  exercises  were  held, 
in  which  essays,  songs  and  addresses  were 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  73 

given  in  the  Chinese  language,  but  according 
to  orthodox  American  custom  on  such  occa- 
sions. 

The  next  year,  1897,  the  Methodist  School 
in  Chinkiang  graduated  its  first  class  of  two 
girls  and  four  years  later,  another  class  of 
seven  was  graduated  “ and  given  beautiful 
diplomas,  the  gift  of  Mr.  Wan  of  the  United 
States  Consulate.”  35  In  1899  the  Methodist 
School  in  Foochow  held  its  first  graduation  ex- 
ercises, and  in  the  next  five  years  granted  sixty- 
six  diplomas.  In  1900  St.  Mary’s  reported: 
“ Miss  Tsu  Sing  Lung  has  graduated  with 
honour  to  herself  and  credit  to  the  school,  and 
holds  the  first  diploma  ever  awarded  from  St. 
Mary’s.”  36  The  custom  grew  rapidly  because 
of  its  beneficial  results.  “ The  girls  insist  that 
the  parents  must  allow  them  to  remain  in 
school  long  enough  to  get  a diploma,”  37  one 
principal  wrote. 

A very  interesting  feature  of  these  cur- 
ricula, common  to  four  of  them,  was  that 
physical  culture  was  given  throughout  the  en- 
tire course.  This  was  truly  something  new 
under  the  sun  for  the  bound- footed  woman- 

85  Miss  Robinson,  in  Woman's  Missionary  Friend, 
April,  1902. 

38  Miss  Dodson,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  May,  1900. 

87  Miss  Bonafisld,  in  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend, 
Sept.,  1904. 


74  Education  of  Women  in  China 

hood  of  China,  but  it  proved  to  be  of  great 
benefit  and  soon  became  very  popular. 

“ Since  introducing  physical  exercise  the 
health  of  the  girls  has  greatly  improved,” 
wrote  the  principal  of  St.  Mary’s,  and  a 
teacher  in  the  Bridgman  School  at  Peking  tes- 
tified : " Regular  daily  work  in  gymnasium  im- 
parts ease  and  grace  of  carriage  and  move- 
ment to  the  heavy  and  awkward  Chinese 
girls.”  38 

Physical  culture  for  women  found  favour 
even  in  the  eyes  of  the  Chinese  men.  One  of 
them  watched  the  girls  of  St.  Mary’s  at  their 
drill  with  unqualified  approval.  “ This  surely 
will  be  a great  good  to  them,”  he  said,  “because 
the  Chinese  women  and  girls  are  not  strong. 
After  centuries  of  foot-binding,  close  confine- 
ment indoors,  and  sitting  constantly  over  their 
embroidery  frames  and  other  sewing,  they  be- 
come round  shouldered  and  many  of  them  go 
into  consumption  for  lack  of  good  healthy  out- 
door exercise.”  39 

Four  of  these  curricula  included  music  as 
a regular  part  of  the  school  work.  All  of 
them  offered  some  work  in  science,  five  of 
them  physical  geography,  four  of  them  physi- 
ology and  astronomy,  two  of  them  physics  and 

*•  Mission  Studies,  Aug.,  1898. 

••  Spirit  of  Missions,  May,  1900. 


The  Period  of  Gradual  Growth  75 

chemistry,  one  zoology,  one  biology,  one  geol- 
ogy, one  political  geography,  and  one  hygiene. 
In  mathematics  most  of  them  did  not  offer  any- 
thing above  arithmetic,  but  one  included 
courses  in  algebra,  geometry  and  elementary 
trigonometry.  In  all  five,  classes  in  the  Bible 
and  other  Christian  books  were  given  through- 
out the  course,  and  in  all,  the  Chinese  classics 
were  studied  each  year.  Work  in  history  was 
very  general,  the  work  being  classed  as  “ Uni- 
versal/’ or  “ General  ” history.  English  was 
an  optional  subject  in  two  of  the  schools. 
None  of  the  outlined  curricula  included  any 
work  in  the  nature  of  domestic  science,  but  the 
explanatory  notes  preceding  them  stated,  “ It 
is  understood  that  the  pupils  are  trained  to 
perform  household  duties,  are  taught  cookery, 
to  make  their  own  clothes,  to  spin,  to  weave, 
and  to  embroider — in  short,  everything  a Chi- 
nese woman  ought  to  know.”  40 

The  curricula  of  these  five  schools,  which 
were  regarded  as  representative,  give  a fairly 
accurate  measure  of  the  distance  which  wom- 
an’s education  had  travelled  up  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  century.  They  represent 
the  outposts ; probably  no  schools  had  gone  far- 
ther; many  had  not  gone  as  far.  Compared 
with  the  work  which  the  young  women  of 
40  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East , May,  1900. 


76  Education  of  Women  in  China 

America  were  doing  at  that  time,  the  work  of 
these  schools  may  not  seem  to  be  far  advanced. 
But  when  it  is  compared  with  the  work  which 
Chinese  girls  were  doing  a half  century  be- 
fore, and  when  one  recalls  the  obstacles  against 
which  the  cause  of  woman's  education  in  China 
had  to  contend,  it  is  evident  that  the  progress 
from  1844,  when  the  first  school  was  estab- 
lished, to  1900,  though  gradual,  was  very  real. 


IV 


THE  WOMEN  PRODUCED  BY  THE 
CHRISTIAN  SCHOOLS 

BY  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
schools  for  girls  in  China  had  passed 
the  experimental  stage.  Suspicion  and 
prejudice  against  woman’s  education  no  longer 
existed,  and  the  communities  in  which  the 
schools  were  located  regarded  them  with 
friendliness  and  approval.  Doubtless  many  in- 
fluences had  contributed  to  this  result,  but  the 
final  proof  that  the  schools  were  a good,  not 
an  evil,  lay  in  their  pupils.  “ By  their  fruits 
ye  shall  know  them  ” has  ever  been  regarded 
as  the  most  trustworthy  test,  and  the  young 
women  who  went  out  from  the  schools  un- 
doubtedly did  more  to  win  favour  for  the 
cause  of  woman’s  education  than  any  other  one 
influence. 

“Are  women  capable  of  education?”  the 
sceptical  Chinese  lords  of  creation  had  scorn- 
fully exclaimed  when  the  strange-looking  for- 
eign women  urged  them  to  send  their  daugh- 
ters to  the  schools  which  they  had  opened.  To 
77 


78  Education  of  Women  in  China 

this  question  the  girls  themselves  made  an- 
swer as  soon  as  they  were  given  the  oppor- 
tunity. The  father  of  one  little  girl  who  had 
been  in  the  Methodist  School  at  Foochow  for 
some  years,  came  to  take  her  out  one  spring, 
for  he  said  he  needed  her  help  in  taking  care 
of  the  cows.  “ I talked  to  him  of  the  foolish- 
ness of  taking  her  away  before  she  had  studied 
long  enough  for  any  real  advantage,”  the  prin- 
cipal wrote.  “ But  he  was  poor,  the  child  was 
a girl  and  girls  could  not  learn.  ...  So  I 
quietly  opened  the  school  records  and  read  her 
examination  marks  for  several  terms,  most  of 
them  above  ninety,  and  explained  what  they 
meant.  ‘And  she  can  really  learn ? ’ ‘Yes/ 
‘ Then  she  shall  stay/  99 1 

Dr.  Boone  of  Shanghai  wrote  of  the  work 
done  by  the  pupils  of  St.  Mary’s : “ In  the 
classics  and  history,  etc.,  the  older  girls  do  as 
well  as  any  (of  the  boys)  in  the  college  de- 
partments, and  that  is  no  small  praise,  for  the 
industry  of  all  our  pupils  of  an  age  to  appreci- 
ate their  advantages  is  more  than  fully  satis- 
factory to  their  teachers,  whether  native  or 
foreign.  Could  the  patrons  of  our  schools,  and 
especially  of  St.  Mary’s,  be  present  once,  and 
see,  and  hear  with  understanding  ears,  they 

1 Mrs.  Jewell,  in  Heathen  W Oman's  Friend,  May, 
1892. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  79 

would  rejoice  indeed.”  2 “ The  thoroughness 

with  which  each  girl  went  through  the  entire 
examination  was  remarkable,”  said  a lady  who 
was  present  at  one  of  the  semi-annual  exam- 
inations of  this  school.  “ To  fail  was  not  in 
their  vocabulary.”  3 

One  of  the  examining  committee  of  the 
Methodist  School  in  Peking  gives  an  account 
of  the  way  in  which  the  girls  of  that  school 
acquitted  themselves  in  a similar  ordeal.  “ The 
morning  session  opened  with  the  singing  of  a 
hymn  followed  by  prayer  by  Mrs.  Davis. 
Then  a class  of  seven  little  girls  was  called  to 
the  floor.  These  were  examined  by  Miss 
Campbell,  who  had  taught  them  Bible  history. 
During  the  half  hour’s  questioning  not  one 
missed  and  the  visitors  had  no  difficulty  in  de- 
ciding that  the  percentage  of  the  class  stood 
at  100.  The  next  class,  with  Mrs.  Davis  as 
teacher,  had  mastered  the  Harmony  of  the 
Gospels,  and  as  not  one  question  was  missed  it 
was  equally  easy  to  say  this  class  was  also 
perfect.  An  arithmetic  class,  Miss  Campbell’s, 
was  called.  Here  let  me  explain  that  in  this 
branch  of  study  the  Chinese  are  accustomed  to 
appear  as  idiotic  as  it  is  possible  to  imagine 
mortals  to  appear.  The  native  methods  of 

2 Spirit  of  Missions,  Feb.,  1884. 

8 Miss  Stevens,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  May,  1882. 


80  Education  of  Women  in  China 

education  develop  great  powers  of  memory  but 
no  powers  of  reasoning.  Therefore  when  the 
girls  of  the  class  rose  one  after  another  and 
went  without  hesitation  through  long  examples 
in  mental  arithmetic  the  surprise  and  admira- 
tion of  the  visitors  were  equally  great.  But 
one  child  (one  of  the  smartest  ones,  too)  for- 
got to  carry  a figure  on  a blackboard  exercise, 
and  one  or  two  others  made  mistakes  equally 
trivial;  so  the  visitors  said  the  class  was  as 
near  perfect  as  it  could  be  and  not  be  perfect 
and  marked  it  99.”  4 The  account  goes  on  to 
tell  of  the  other  classes  examined,  none  of 
which  were  marked  below  95,  and  of  individual 
recitations,  the  lowest  grade  for  which  was 
also  95. 

A former  pupil  of  the  True  Light  Seminary 
brought  pride  to  the  hearts  of  her  teachers 
when  she  carried  off  the  first  prize  offered  by 
the  Chinese  churches  of  Canton  for  the  best 
paper  on  the  gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark. 
Many  men  were  among  her  competitors,  or- 
dained ministers  only  being  excluded,  and  one 
of  them,  who  received  the  second  prize,  was 
heard  to  say  that  “ the  men  would  have  to 
break  a hole  in  the  girls’  seminary  wall  to  lis- 
ten to  the  instruction  given  there.”  5 

4 Heathen  Woman's  Friend,  Sept.,  1877. 

6 Woman's  Work  for  Woman,  Feb.,  1892. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  81 


The  school  girls  of  China  have  not  been 
what  are  technically  known  as  “ grinds/’  how- 
ever. Their  alertness  of  mind  and  ability  in 
execution  has  been  scarcely  less  evident  on 
the  playground  than  in  the  classroom.  A 
teacher  in  Peking  writes,  “ The  girls  enjoy 
fully  all  their  playtimes  and  make  the  most 
of  the  few  holidays  that  come  when  they  are 
together.  They  have,  in  common  with  most 
Chinese,  a remarkable  skill  in  acting,  and  on 
the  holidays  sometimes  entertain  us  with  little 
plays  which  they  have  thought  out  entirely  by 
themselves.  Sometimes  they  represent  people 
of  different  countries ; sometimes  they  show  a 
burlesque  on  the  old-fashioned  Confucian 
teacher,  or  play  a joke  on  each  other,  as  when 
the  younger  girls  solemnly  presented  to  the 
college  girls  a paper  figure  with  a huge  head, 
intended  to  represent  the  ‘ big  head  ’ which 
they  get  as  their  learning  increases.  Their 
ability  to  plan  these  things  and  carry  them  out 
is  a constant  source  of  wonder  to  us.  It  is 
one  of  the  Chinese  talents  to  which  we  of  the 
West  do  not  attain.”  6 

Miss  Bonafield  of  Foochow  tells  of  an  en- 
tertainment given  by  the  school  girls  there,  at 
which  a gentleman  just  arrived  from  Canada 

6 Miss  Reed,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Women , Aug., 
1908. 


82  Education  of  Women  in  China 

was  present.  “ His  face  was  a study  during 
the  performances,”  she  writes.  “ He  said, 
4 You  astonish  me!  I never  expected  to  see 
such  girls  in  China.  Our  Canadian  girls  can 
do  no  better.  What  wonderful  progress  you 
have  made ! The  people  at  home  surely  do  not 
know  about  it.’  ” 7 

That  the  Chinese  girls  soon  proved  them- 
selves able  to  pass  examinations  with  honour, 
write  good  papers,  and  plan  and  carry  out 
successful  entertainments,  proved  indeed  that 
they  were  capable  of  education,  fully  as  much 
so  as  were  the  boys,  but  these  facts  alone  were 
not  sufficient  to  prove  the  wisdom  of  educating 
them.  To  answer  the  question  whether  or 
not  it  was  worth  while  to  give  them  education, 
it  was  necessary  to  prove  that  they  were  able 
to  make  use  of  the  opportunities  which  they 
had  had,  that  their  studies  had  fitted  them  for 
useful  living.  Some  of  the  girls  answered 
this  question  as  teachers. 

“ She  had  been  in  the  school  a number  of 
years,”  wrote  the  principal  of  a school  in  Foo- 
chow. “ She  had  taken  a three  years’  course  in 
English,  finished  the  Chinese  course  of  study 
and  gone  out  from  us  the  last  of  June,  1888. 
In  the  fall  at  our  request  she  came  back  to 
teach  in  the  school  half  of  each  day  and  pursue 
7 Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Sept.,  1903. 


Chinese  Women  Physicians,  Graduates  of  a Mission  School 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  83 

advanced  studies  in  Chinese  the  other  half. 
Soon  her  quiet  dignity  and  the  interest  of  the 
little  ones  in  their  lessons,  as  well  as  their 
affection  for  their  teacher,  proved  the  wisdom 
of  the  experiment  as  far  as  the  school  was 
concerned.  During  the  winter  our  oldest 
Chinese  teacher  came  up  to  the  house  begging 
that  Fidelia  be  required  to  teach  one  or  two 
classes  only,  and  be  allowed  the  rest  of  her 
time  for  her  own  studies.  And  when  this 
Chinese  literary  gentleman  said,  4 Let  her  go 
on  with  her  Chinese  studies  for  a few  years 
and  then  she  will  be  fitted  to  take  my  place 
and  I’ll  step  down  and  out,’  we  were  proud  of 
our  girl.”  8 

Another  girl  from  that  school  went  out  to 
take  charge  of  a day  school  for  girls  in  long 
Palk,  a village  some  miles  from  Foochow.  At 
the  end  of  a year  the  presiding  elder  of  the 
district  reported:  44  Your  school  at  long  Palk 
pays.  The  people  there  are  asking  for  a 
preacher  and  I hope  to  send  them  one.”  The 
preacher  was  sent,  but  soon  after  his  arrival 
sudden  illness  ended  the  teacher’s  life.  Three 
days  after  her  death  a committee  of  four 
waited  upon  the  missionary  in  charge  and 
asked  her  to  send  another  teacher  to  them. 

8 Miss  Jewell,  in  Heathen  Woman’s  Friend , June, 
1890. 


84  Education  of  Women  in  China 

“ We  need  the  school,”  they  said.  “ We  will 
pay  the  rent  for  a room.  We  thank  God  that 
for  fifteen  months  we  had  a Christian  woman 
with  our  people.  We  know  how  Christians 
live  and  how  they  die.”8 

The  Chinese  principal  put  in  charge  of  the 
department  for  training  teachers  at  the  True 
Light  Seminary,  Canton,  was  one  of  their  own 
graduates.  One  of  her  American  fellow  work- 
ers said  of  her,  “ It  would  be  difficult  to  find 
in  any  land  a teacher  better  fitted  for  her  posi- 
tion.” Some  years  ago,  when  the  Second  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Canton  was  considering 
the  question  whom  it  should  call  to  its  pulpit, 
one  of  the  elders  said  that  he  would  rather 
listen  to  this  woman  than  to  any  one  else.10 

The  principal  of  the  Presbyterian  Girls’ 
School  in  Nanking  wrote  of  her  Chinese  as- 
sistant, a graduate  of  the  Ningpo  School,  “ I 
find  her  everything  I wanted  and  in  every  way 
she  has  proved  herself  equal  to  the  position.” 
The  same  woman  wrote  of  the  matron  of  her 
school,  one  of  Miss  Aldersey’s  old  pupils, 
“ She  married  one  of  our  Ningpo  pastors. 
When  we  were  just  starting  in  Nangking 
we  sent  to  Ningpo  saying  that  we  had  little 

• Miss  Rouse,  in  W Oman's  Missionary  Friend , Sept, 
1896. 

10  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  May,  1900. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  85 

money  and  our  need  of  helpers  was  great, 
and  we  asked  who  would  come  to  help  us. 
This  woman  and  her  husband  said : ‘ We 
will  go/  and  they  came  for  just  two-thirds  of 
the  salary  he  was  getting  in  Ningpo.  After 
labouring  faithfully  six  years  his  health  failed 
and  they  returned,  but  she  said  when  leaving, 
‘ If  God  calls  my  husband  home  before  me  I 
am  coming  back  to  you.’  A few  months  after- 
ward the  good  old  man  went  to  his  reward 
and  she  came  back.  She  is  a grand,  good 
woman,  a splendid  Christian  character  to  have 
over  the  girls  and  I hope  will  be  spared  to  us 
many  years.”  11 

A newly  arrived  missionary  wrote  home 
from  St.  Mary’s,  “ The  chief  work  I am  doing 
is  of  course  that  of  study.  I have  for  the 
present,  Miss  Wong  (the  young  matron  of 
the  school)  as  teacher.  Just  here  let  me  sing 
her  praises  for  I know  no  one  so  well  deserv- 
ing. I cannot  help  rejoicing  in  the  triumphs 
of  Christianity  whenever  I look  at  her,  she  is 
so  good,  so  very  efficient.  You  ought  to  see 
the  extreme  cleanliness  of  the  school;  the  ten- 
der care  she  gives  the  girls ; the  unselfish  devo- 
tion to  all  matters  of  school  or  church,  to  ap- 
preciate her.”  12 

“Mrs.  Leaman,  in  Woman’s  Work  for  Woman , Sept., 
1898. 

12  Miss  Stevens,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  Feb.,  1882. 


86  Education  of  Women  in  China 

A few  years  later  word  came  from  Shang- 
hai : “ St.  Mary’s  entire  school,  the  Orphanage, 
and  everything  depend  upon  Miss  Wong.”  13 
A year  after  that  the  Bishop’s  wife  wrote 
home,  “ Last  July  I promised  Miss  Wong  I 
would  add  my  plea  to  hers  for  St.  Mary’s  and 
the  Orphanage.  The  care  of  two  institutions 
is  a heavy  burden  for  one  Chinese  woman.”  14 
But  the  annual  report  for  that  year  read: 
“ St.  Mary’s  Hall  has  done  a very  good  year’s 
work.” 

It  was  of  this  woman  who  had  proved  capa- 
ble of  such  large  responsibility  that  one  of 
those  sent  to  her  relief  wrote : “ I want  many 
to  see  this  glorious  woman.  I feel  every  day 
that  if  we  had  done  no  more  in  the  past  fifty 
years  than  win  her  and  educate  her  to  do  the 
grand  work  she  is  doing  for  girls  here,  all  our 
money  would  have  been  well  spent.  She  knows 
every  child  and  every  one  knows  her.  The 
love  they  show  for  her  is  beautiful.  If  she 
opens  the  door  unexpectedly  the  little  ones 
flock  about  her,  each  telling  her  the  pleasure 
or  trouble  of  the  moment,  and  she  hears  and 
helps  all.”  15 

Other  young  women  have  gone  out  from  the 

19  Mr.  Partridge,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  May,  1887. 

14  Mrs.  Graves,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  May,  1888. 

11  Miss  Carter,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  March,  1890. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  87 

schools  into  the  study  of  medicine,  that  they 
might  use  their  education  to  bring  relief  and 
healing  to  the  countless  suffering  women  and 
children  of  the  great  Chinese  Empire.  The 
splendid  work  which  is  being  done  by  Dr.  Hii 
King  Eng,  Dr.  Mary  Stone,  Dr.  Ida  Kahn 
and  Dr.  Li  Bi  Cu,  all  Chinese  women,  all  grad- 
uates of  mission  schools,  is  probably  better 
known  than  that  of  any  other  Chinese  women 
because  these  four  received  their  medical  train- 
ing in  America  and  became  known  to  many 
people  during  their  stay  there.  But  they  are 
by  no  means  the  only  ones  who  are  doing  ef- 
ficient work  along  this  line. 

“ In  our  Soochow  woman’s  hospital,”  writes 
Dr.  Annie  Walters  Fearn,  “ Miss  Zah  Foh-me 
(a  graduate  of  McTyeire  School,  Shanghai) 
has  stood  by  the  hospital  through  every 
change;  for  fifteen  years  she  has  been  faithful 
and  no  man  can  estimate  the  value  of  her 
services  to  the  work.  ...  In  the  Episcopal 
hospital  in  Shanghai  Miss  Wong  Ah  Me  (a 
graduate  of  St.  Mary’s  Hall)  has  been  a tower 
of  strength;  often  for- months  at  a time  she 
has  been  the  resident  physician  in  charge  of 
the  hospital  under  the  foreign  supervision  of 
Dr.  Boone,  without  any  special  training  other 
than  practical  work;  this  with  her  quick  wits, 
perseverance  and  natural  ability  she  has  used 


88  Education  of  Women  in  China 

to  the  utmost,  with  the  result  that  she  has 
made  herself  indispensable  to  the  work. 

“ Our  native  patrons  have  shown  almost 
from  the  first  a reliance  upon  their  sisters 
which  has  surprised  me.  Rarely  will  they  in- 
sist on  seeing  the  foreigner  when  the  native 
physician  is  at  hand.  In  the  out  calls  they 
occasionally  send  for  the  native  doctor  in  pref- 
erence to  the  foreign.” 

Dr.  Feam  points  out  that  the  physicians  edu- 
cated in  America  are  well  known  because  of 
the  interest  felt  in  the  experiment  of  American 
education  for  Chinese  women,  but  goes  on  to 
say: 

“ But  you  do  not  know  of  the  work  of 
Miss  Zah  Foh-me  of  the  Soochow  woman’s 
hospital,  of  her  courage,  her  unfailing  faith- 
fulness, her  untiring  care  and  watchfulness  and 
her  ability  which  has  made  her  the  trusted  co- 
worker of  the  physicians  who  have  been  asso- 
ciated with  her,  and  who  have  felt  that  in  Miss 
Zah  they  had  a competent  helper,  one  who  for 
months  has  borne  alone  the  burden  of  the  hos- 
pital, who  was  the  first  to  return  to  the  hos- 
pital after  the  Boxer  trouble,  and  who  for  two 
months  kept  up  the  work  alone  and  bravely 
opened  the  door  which  we  foreigners  were  not 
then  permitted  to  enter. 

“ You  do  not  know  of  Miss  Wong,  who  for 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  89 

years  has  been  to  the  Episcopal  hospital  in 
Shanghai  all  that  Miss  Zah  has  been  to  the 
Soochow  hospital,  who  has  been  faithful  in  all 
things,  equal  to  any  emergency,  and  who  has 
so  identified  herself  with  the  work  that  she 
has  become  practically  the  spirit  of  the  place. 

“ You  do  not  know  of  Miss  Yong  Ngoh-pau, 
who  three  years  ago  graduated  from  the  Soo- 
chow Medical  School  and  who  for  some  time 
was  associated  with  Dr.  Frances  Cattell  of  the 
Tooker  Memorial  Hospital,  the  American 
Presbyterian  Mission,  Soochow.  Her  ability 
was  such  as  to  enable  Dr.  Cattell  to  run  the 
hospital  successfully  and  without  other  help, 
when  at  one  time  it  seemed,  after  the  loss  of 
one  of  the  two  foreign  physicians,  that  the 
work  must  suffer  great  loss. 

“ You  do  not  know  of  Miss  Yui  Ling-tsii, 
who  six  years  ago  received  her  certificate  from 
the  Soochow  Medical  School,  who  with  the 
sweetest,  brightest  faith,  the  quickest  mind, 
readiest  hand,  and  most  willing  heart,  made  the 
days  bright  for  many  a suffering  woman,  and 
who  left  a place  hard  to  fill  when  circumstances 
called  her  to  Korea.  There  she  did  fine  work 
with  her  medicine  until  the  influx  of  foreign 
physicians  and  the  rapidly  growing  work 
brought  her  to  realize  that  her  work  was  most 
needed  along  other  lines,  and  this  gifted  Chi- 


90  Education  of  Women  in  China 

nese  girl  is  now  translating  English  school  and 
church  books  into  Korean. 

“ You  do  not  know  of  these  because  their 
training  has  been  received  at  home.  But  can 
we  who  know  of  such  cases  debate  their  capa- 
bility ? We  know  them  to  be  patient,  persever- 
ing, to  have  wonderful  endurance,  quickness 
of  perception,  keen  appreciation,  and  unex- 
celled deftness  of  touch.”  16 

Dr.  Mary  Brown  of  Wei  Hsien  found  the 
same  fitness  for  this  work  in  the  Chinese 
women  to  whom  she  gave  medical  training. 
Her  biographer  says : “ So  well  were  these 
women  trained  that  they  have  performed  diffi- 
cult operations  which  gave  them  such  a reputa- 
tion as  skilful  physicians  that  they  have  been 
sent  for  far  and  near  to  attend  the  sick.  . . . 
After  Dr.  Brown  left  her  work  in  China  one 
of  her  pupils,  a strong,  bright  young  woman, 
took  complete  charge  of  the  woman’s  hospital 
at  Wei  Hsien,  and  did  a noble  work.” 

“ It  pays  to  work  for  the  women  of  China,” 
declares  another  physician,  Dr.  Woodhull  of 
Foochow.  “ They  are  as  capable  of  culture  as 
any  women  in  the  world.”  17  A little  paper, 
“ The  Fuhkien  Witness,”  published  in  Foo- 
chow, pays  a similar  tribute.  “ No  women  in 

11  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East,  Sept.,  1902. 

,T  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East,  June,  1902. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  91 

the  world  have  ever  responded  more  nobly  to 
what  has  been  done  for  them  than  the  women 
and  girls  of  China.”  18 

But  while  many  have  distinguished  them- 
selves as  teachers  and  physicians,  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  graduates  of  the  schools  have 
married,  some  as  soon  as  they  left  school,  many 
of  them  after  a few  years  of  teaching.  The 
supreme  ideal  of  the  mission  schools  has  been 
to  put  educated,  capable  Christian  women  into 
the  centres  of  the  homes. 

“ While  the  girls  are  getting  a good  footing 
intellectually,  and  their  spiritual  life  is  care- 
fully watched,  the  practical  side  of  their  na- 
ture is  not  forgotten,”  one  of  the  missionaries 
wrote.  “ Our  greatest  hope  is  that  they  may 
be  model  homemakers.” 

A worker  in  Amoy  says,  “ For  over  twenty 
years  the  missions  of  the  American  Reformed 
and  English  Presbyterian  Churches,  along 
with  the  London  Missionary  Society,  have 
been  carrying  on  girls’  schools  in  Amoy.  The 
result  of  the  work  has  long  been  seen  in  the 
many  Christian  homes  scattered  through  the 
southern  districts  of  Fuhkien,  in  the  intelligent 
women  who  form  not  the  least  interesting  part 
of  the  Sabbath  congregations,  and  in  the  pas- 
tors’ and  preachers’  wives  who  superintend  in 
18  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  Dec.,  .1904. 


92  Education  of  Women  in  China 

many  cases,  most  ably,  the  work  amongst 
women  in  their  husbands’  churches.”  19 

Miss  Howe  writes  from  Kiukiang:  “Many 
girls  have  married  from  the  school  and  sev- 
eral are  now  serving  as  teachers  in  various 
places,  or  acting  as  Bible  women,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  those  who  are  helping  their  preacher 
husbands  in  the  dark  places  in  which  the 
itinerating  wheel  has  placed  them.  Miss  Stan- 
ton a few  weeks  since  visited  the  home  of  one 
who  was  married  last  July  to  a young  man 
who  was  stationed  at  Kung-lung,  fourteen 
miles  distant.  She  reports  the  cleanest  native 
house  she  has  ever  seen.  Although  small  and 
crowded,  the  taste  in  arrangement  secured  a 
pleasing  effect.  The  young  wife  was  venturing 
out  among  the  most  uncongenial  women  and 
receiving  them  to  her  home  for  instruction  in 
the  Christian  way.  The  husband  and  wife, 
both  educated,  refined  and  spiritual,  found  their 
only  true  companionship  in  each  other,  and 
strengthening  each  other’s  hands  were  striving 
with  loving  help  to  lift  up  the  fallen  ones  about 
them.  . . . Miss  Stanton  observed  the  two 
sitting  together  going  through  some  accounts, 
and  noticed  a gratified  twitch  of  admiration 
play  about  the  young  man’s  face  as  the  wife 

” Miss  Johnston,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
May,  1898. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  93 

each  time  finished  the  long  column  in  advance 
of  himself.20 

Mrs.  Gamewell  told  of  another  young  wife, 
a graduate  of  the  Methodist  School  in  Peking. 
“ I spent  the  month  of  June  in  making  a trip 
to  the  coast  with  Mr.  Gamewell,”  she  wrote. 
“ The  most  cheering  sight  that  met  our  eyes 
was  the  face  of  Clara  Wang.  Her  earnest 
words  of  admonition  as  she  taught  her  visitors 
of  God,  were  so  well  put  that  anybody  Hearing 
them  must  know  that  she  had  had  school  train- 
ing. . . . Our  girls'  school  has  done  nobly 
to  give  one  such  as  Clara  Wang  to  the 
work.”  21 

From  the  Presbyterian  School  in  Peking, 
Miss  Newton  writes : “ Can  we  point  to  any 
girls  whom  our  schools  have  developed  into  the 
kind  of  women  we  long  to  see,  those  who  ‘ open 
their  mouths  with  wisdom  and  in  whose 
tongues  is  the  law  of  kindness,  who  look  well 
to  the  ways  of  their  households,  and  eat  not 
the  bread  of  idleness.'  I should  like  to  take  you 
into  a little  home  I know  in  Peking  where  the 
young  mother  seems  to  me  the  very  embodi- 
ment of  these  words.  I have  watched  care- 
fully her  treatment  of  her  children  and  I have 
never  seen  a foreigner  who  seemed  to  me  more 

20  Woman's  Missionary  Friend,  Sept.,  1896. 

31  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,  Jan.,  1885. 


94  Education  of  Women  in  China 

conscientious,  judicious  and  self-controlled. 
When  the  children  are  cross  or  mischievous 
she  doesn’t  shriek  at  them  and  threaten  to 
throw  them  into  a pit  of  yellow  earth.  Why 
not?  That  is  the  style  of  home  training  she 
was  accustomed  to  from  her  mother,  a most 
unreasonable  termagant.  Simply  because  sev- 
eral years  in  a boarding  school  developed  in 
her  refined  and  womanly  qualities.  Why  is  it 
that  the  clothing,  stockings  and  shoes  of  her 
husband,  herself  and  children  are  always  neat 
and  well  made?  Her  mother  cannot  sew  at 
all  well,  much  less  teach  her  daughters.  Be- 
cause she  was  taught  in  school  to  sew  and 
embroider  until  now  she  does  exquisite  needle- 
work. Why,  a few  months  ago,  did  she  punish 
her  little  boy  of  three  and  a half  years,  because 
he  had  told  a lie?  Her  mother,  though  a 
Christian,  tells  lies  herself.  Because  the  teach- 
ing about  truthfulness  that  she  had  received 
in  the  school  had  entered  into  the  very  bone 
and  sinew  of  her  nature.”  22 

The  testimony  of  Dr.  Madge  Mateer,  that 
school  life,  instead  of  spoiling  the  Chinese  girls 
for  home  duties,  has  made  them  more  helpful, 
is  one  of  the  truest  tributes  which  could  have 
been  paid  to  the  wisdom  and  skill  of  those 
who  have  guided  the  course  of  woman’s  educa- 
a IV Oman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  May,  1899. 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  95 

tion  in  China.  “ I have  heard  no  one  com- 
plain that  her  daughter  was  unwilling  to  take 
up  less  congenial  work  at  home,”  Dr.  Mateer 
says.23 

The  educated  Chinese  women  have  not  only 
done  notably  good  work,  but  they  have  shown 
the  capacity  for  a large  amount  of  work.  A 
letter  from  a missionary  of  Wei  Hien  reads : 

“ I wish  you  could  see  the  teacher  of  the 
school.  She  is  the  wife  of  the  pastor  of  the 
church  there.  She  is  a bright  Christian  woman 
and  her  pupils  are  well  trained  both  in  manners 
and  books.  They  are  taught  to  make  their  own 
clothing  and  to  cook  their  food.  Mrs.  San, 
besides  teaching  and  caring  for  her  twenty  pu- 
pils who  board  with  her,  cares  for  her  own 
family  and  makes  their  clothes.  She  has  four 
children  at  home  and  two  older  girls  in  the 
Tungchow  High  School.  She  is  a very  busy 
woman  and  a very  capable  one.  She  and  her 
husband  are  doing  a great  deal  for  their  peo- 
ple and  can  reach  them  in  a way  that  foreigners 
cannot.”  24 

Mrs.  Teng  of  Peking  led  a life  very  like  that 
of  Mrs.  San.  When  Miss  Newton,  the  princi- 
pal of  the  Presbyterian  Girls’  School  of  that 

23  Woman's  Work  for  Woman , Sept.,  1898. 

24  Miss  Boughton,  in  Woman's  Work  for  Woman , 
April,  1892. 


96  Education  of  Women  in  China 

city  went  to  America  on  furlough  some  years 
ago,  she  had  no  American  assistant  in  whose 
charge  to  leave  the  school,  so  she  left  it  with 
her  first  Chinese  assistant,  Mrs.  Teng,  of  whom 
she  says: 

“ Her  family  are  all  members  of  the  Lon- 
don Mission  Church.  She  was  educated  in  the 
school  of  that  society  in  Peking  and  considered 
the  prize  scholar.  When  about  twenty  she  was 
married  to  our  helper,  Mr.  Teng,  and  came 
immediately  to  our  compound,  where  she  has 
lived  ever  since,  some  thirteen  years.  As 
teacher  in  our  boarding  school  she  has  done 
excellent  work. 

“ She  has  five  children,  never  had  robust 
health,  and  used  to  make  all  the  clothes,  stock- 
ings and  shoes  for  the  entire  family.  Now, 
however,  she  occasionally  hires  some  of  her 
sewing  done.  She  and  her  husband  and  chil- 
dren are  as  neat  and  trim  as  if  she  never  had 
anything  to  do  but  fuss  over  their  clothes. 
How  she  can  do  so  much  at  home  and  spend 
at  least  five  hours  a day  in  school,  and  never 
appear  to  be  hurried,  is  a mystery.  She  almost 
never  goes  anywhere,  is  exceedingly  sys- 
tematic, and  does  not  waste  moments  here  and 
there.  While  she  is  braiding  the  hair  of  one 
child  in  the  morning,  two  others  stand  on  either 
hand,  each  reciting  a different  lesson  from  the 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  97 

classics,  and  at  the  same  time;  but  Mrs.  Teng 
serenely  keeps  all  in  hand. 

“ She  has  a good  many  visitors,  but  always 
has  time  to  sit  down  and  listen  to  the  most 
garrulous  old  woman.  She  is  ambitious  in  all 
good  ways,  and  reads  and  studies  a great  deal. 
With  all  these  other  duties  she  finds  time  to 
study  English  an  hour  a day!  . . . She  is  a 
sincere  Christian  whom  we  may  be  sure  of 
finding  on  the  right  side  of  a question,  and  a 
most  effective  speaker  in  prayer  meeting.  Her 
love  for  me  and  her  really  making  my  interests 
her  own  during  my  six  years  in  the  school, 
have  been  an  unspeakable  help  and  comfort.  I 
was  so  sure  of  her  ability  and  loyalty  that  I 
was  quite  willing  to  come  away  and  leave  the 
school  with  her.”  25 

Instances  might  be  multiplied  of  Chinese 
women  whose  education  and  training,  added  to 
their  native  ability,  have  enabled  them  to 
accomplish  a surprisingly  large  amount  of 
work.  A prominent  example  is  Dr.  Mary 
Stone,  the  Chinese  physician  in  full  charge 
of  the  large,  well-kept  Danforth  Memorial 
Hospital  in  Kiukiang.  She  has  treated 
as  many  as  2,743  patients  a month  in 
her  hospital,  dispensary  and  out  visits.  Aided 
only  by  the  nurses,  whom  she  has  her- 
25  Woman's  Work  for  Woman,  Feb.,  1895. 


98  Education  of  Women  in  China 

self  trained,  she  performs  “ the  largest  opera- 
tions known  to  surgery  ” with  marked  success. 
Part  of  her  work  is  to  conduct  a nurses’  train- 
ing school,  and  this  means  that  she  must  trans- 
late many  of  their  textbooks  from  English 
into  Chinese.  Her  success  in  this  department 
is  well  attested  by  the  fact  that  when  forced 
to  be  absent  she  is  able  to  leave  the  hospital  in 
charge  of  her  graduate  nurses,  and  by  the  great 
demand  for  her  nurses  in  other  hospitals  and 
for  private  cases.  In  the  crevices  of  her  time 
Dr.  Stone  finds  leisure  to  write  useful  booklets 
on  “ What  to  do  till  the  doctor  comes,”  and 
other  kindred  topics,  or  to  deliver  helpful  and 
stimulating  addresses  before  graduating  classes 
of  girls’  schools  or  conferences  of  her  fellow- 
workers.  Withal  she  has  the  reputation  of 
being  a most  charming  hostess  and  home- 
maker. 

“ It  is  no  longer  an  experiment  to  send  them 
out  into  places  of  responsibility.”  This  state- 
ment is  true  not  alone  of  the  graduates  of  the 
one  school  to  whom  it  referred,  but  of  the  edu- 
cated women  of  China  as  a whole.  They  have 
proved  themselves  capable  of  education,  but 
more  than  that  they  have  proved  themselves 
worthy  of  it,  for  they  have  gone  out  from 
their  years  of  study  to  use  the  knowledge  and 
the  training  which  they  have  received.  As  ef- 


Women  of  Christian  Schools  99 

ficient  teachers,  as  skilful  physicians  and 
nurses,  as  companionable  and  helpful  wives, 
as  intelligent  mothers,  as  useful,  uplifting 
members  of  the  communities  in  which  they  live, 
the  educated  women  of  China  are  the  supreme 
answer  to  any  question  regarding  the  possi- 
bility and  wisdom  of  the  education  of  Chinese 


women. 


V 


THE  PIONEER  GIRLS’  SCHOOL  ES- 
TABLISHED BY  THE  CHINESE 

FOR  over  fifty  years  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  first  school  for  girls  in 
China,  woman’s  education  was  left  en- 
tirely to  the  missionaries.  But  just  before  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  it  became  evident  that 
the  Chinese  themselves  were  aware  of  the  value 
of  educational  work  for  women  and  were  no 
longer  willing  that  the  foreigners  should  do 
everything  for  the  uplifting  of  their  daugh- 
ters and  they  nothing.  In  the  year  1897,  a 
number  of  wealthy  merchants  and  officials  in 
Shanghai  formed  a society  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  a school  for  girls  in  that  city,  all 
the  expenses  of  which  were  to  be  met  by  volun- 
tary subscriptions.  The  provisional  prospectus 
of  this  school  shows  the  spirit  which  actuated 
the  leaders  of  the  project,  the  ideals  which  they 
held  for  the  school,  and  the  care  with  which 
they  planned  to  attain  them: 

1.  “ In  opening  schools  for  girls  we  are  reverting  to 
the  illustrious  custom  of  the  three  dynasties.  In  order 
100 


Pioneer  Girls’  School  Established  ioi 


to  open  up  the  intelligence  of  the  people,  we  must 
certainly  make  the  women  free  and  afterwards  customs 
can  be  changed.  That  the  reality  may  correspond  to 
the  name  all  funds  and  plans  for  the  school  are  to 
be  made  under  the  control  (supervision)  of  women, 
and  the  teachers  are  to  be  women. 

The  above  is  the  fundamental  idea  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  school. 

2.  Temporarily  four  teachers  will  be  employed,  two 
for  Chinese  and  two  for  English,  all  of  whom  are 
to  be  Chinese  ladies.  In  general  each  teacher  will 
have  twenty  pupils.  This  refers  to  the  beginning  of 
the  literary  department.  As  funds  and  pupils  increase 
more  teachers  will  be  added. 

3.  There  shall  be  one  foreign  and  one  Chinese  super- 
intendent who  will  live  at  the  school  and  have  general 
oversight  of  the  pupils  and  employees.  They  shall 
receive  salaries. 

4.  Eight  directors  shall  be  chosen  from  the  number 
of  contributors  who  shall  visit  the  school  by  turns,  in- 
spect the  studies  and  assist  those  in  charge.  They  shall 
receive  no  salaries. 

5.  Twelve  men  shall  be  chosen  from  the  families  of 
contributors  to  solicit  and  collect  funds,  appoint  teachers 
and  principals,  decide  on  courses  of  study  and  manage 
the  finances.  They  shall  receive  no  salaries. 

6.  There  shall  be  two  treasurers  chosen  by  the 
twelve  male  directors,  who  shall  be  honest  and  econom- 
ical men,  and  good  accountants,  to  have  charge  of 
receipts  and  disbursements.  They  shall  receive  salaries. 

The  above  five  rules  appertain  to  the  management. 

7.  The  school  will  open  with  forty  pupils  and  the 
members  shall  increase  as  funds  increase. 

8.  Pupils  may  enter  between  the  ages  of  eight  and 
fifteen. 

9.  Pupils  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  eleven  must 
be  able  to  read  a certain  amount  on  entrance.  Those 


102  Education  of  Women  in  China 


between  twelve  and  fifteen  must  know  something  of 
composition  and  be  able  to  read  letters.  Teachers  shall 
decide  upon  the  eligibility  of  candidates  for  admission. 

10.  Foot-binding  is  a very  vile  custom  of  the  Chinese. 
Persons  of  culture  should  not  continue  it.  Since  this 
is  only  a beginning  of  the  school  and  the  customs  are 
not  yet  established,  for  the  present  pupils  shall  be 
admitted  without  regard  to  whether  their  feet  are 
bound  or  not,  but  after  a few  years  there  will  be  a 
limit  and  no  one  with  small  feet  will  be  admitted. 

11.  It  is  the  intention  of  this  school  to  make  no 
distinctions  of  rank,  but  since  in  the  future  pupils 
from  the  school  will  be  leaders  and  teachers  in  other 
schools,  only  daughters  of  reputable  families  will  be 
admitted. 

The  above  are  the  five  rules  for  the  admission  of 
pupils. 

12.  The  course  of  study  will  be  half  English  and 
half  Chinese.  First  reading  and  composition  shall  be 
learned,  and  later  all  elementary  branches  of  learning; 
afterward,  history  and  science,  handicrafts  and  pro- 
fessions may  be  taken  up. 

13.  There  shall  be  three  special  courses  of  study; 
mathematical,  medical  and  law.  Each  pupil  may  choose 
which  she  will  pursue,  but  those  who  study  medicine 
and  law  must  first  have  a good  general  knowledge  of 
mathematics. 

14.  Besides  these  courses  of  study  there  shall  be  a 
kindergarten  department,  the  teachers  of  which  must 
have  a wide  general  knowledge. 

15.  The  industrial  department  shall  include  spinning, 
weaving  and  drawing,  as  soon  as  there  are  funds  suffi- 
cient to  engage  teachers  in  both  foreign  and  native 
methods,  as  these  matters  are  of  great  importance  to 
women. 

16.  Monthly  examinations  shall  be  held  by  the 
teachers,  who  shall  give  the  markings.  Quarterly  ex- 


Pioneer  Girls’  School  Established  103 

animations  shall  be  conducted  by  specialists  who  will 
give  the  marks  and  award  prizes. 

The  above  are  the  five  rules  for  studies. 

17.  All  those  in  control  from  teachers  and  superin- 
tendents to  servants  shall  be  women.  Rigid  discipline 
shall  be  enforced.  No  men  shall  be  allowed  to  enter 
the  doors.  If  the  male  directors  have  anything  about 
which  to  consult  they  shall  meet  in  an  outer  building. 

18.  Little  children  whose  homes  are  near  may  attend 
the  school  without  living  in  it,  but  must  be  regular  in 
attendance.  When  the  homes  are  distant  children  may 
live  at  the  school.  It  is  decided  to  build  ten  rooms  for 
their  accommodation. 

19.  Fees  shall  be  graduated  similar  to  those  paid  by 
foreigners  (or  expenses  will  be  about  the  same  as  those 
in  Western  schools).  The  rich  shall  pay  liberally  to 
help  the  school,  but  if  the  family  is  in  moderate  circum- 
stances the  fees  shall  be  less.  In  case  of  extreme  pov- 
erty the  fees  may  be  entirely  remitted.  A poor  student 
who  has  ability  and  application  may  not  only  have  fees 
remitted,  but  may  be  provided  with  board,  clothing, 
books,  etc. 

20.  Clean,  honest  women  servants  shall  be  employed 
to  attend  to  all  the  wants  of  the  pupils.  Pupils  may 
be  allowed  to  bring  servants  from  home,  but  such  serv- 
ants shall  be  subject  to  the  authorities  of  the  school. 

21.  Whoever  completes  one  of  the  three  courses  of 
study,  in  the  Kindergarten  or  Industrial  course,  shall 
receive  a diploma  which  empowers  them  to  follow  the 
professions  for  which  they  have  prepared. 

22.  Girls  taken  from  Foundling  Asylums  cannot  be 
given  in  marriage  as  concubines;  much  more  shall  the 
pupils  of  this  school  not  be  given  as  concubines,  but 
shall  be  more  highly  esteemed  in  the  world  and  loved 
by  their  parents  and  not  by  being  given  as  concubines 
tarnish  the  purity  and  disgrace  the  high  standing  of 
the  school. 


104  Education  of  Women  in  China 

23.  All  countries  prohibit  the  slave  trade.  China 
should  gradually  do  away  with  the  system  of  slavery. 
Any  pupils  who  have  been  in  the  school,  however  poor 
they  may  be,  may  never  be  sold  as  slaves.  Any  one 
violating  this  rule  shall  pay  a fine  of  $500. 

The  above  are  the  three  rules  for  those  who  graduate 
from  this  school. 

24.  Each  contributor  will  please  hand  in  the  official 
rank  and  residence  of  her  husband  or  son,  and  her  own 
official  rank,  with  her  subscription,  for  the  record. 

25.  Make  the  contributions  payable  by  the  month  or 
year,  according  to  the  custom  of  Western  countries. 
In  order  that  the  funds  of  the  school  may  not  run 
short  contributions  should  be  regular.  Our  great  hope 
is  that  the  ladies  within  the  four  seas  will  observe  the 
annual  and  monthly  contributions. 

26.  All  subscriptions  whether  from  natives  or  for- 
eigners, small  or  great,  from  a dollar  upward,  will 
be  alike  received.  We  would  not  hinder  cheerful 
giving. 

27.  At  the  beginning,  while  funds  are  limited,  it  has 
been  decided  to  open  a school  in  Shanghai,  but  it  is 
hoped  that  afterw-ard  the  work  may  be  pushed  forward 
into  every  province  and  prefecture  and  township. 

28.  The  teachers  of  Western  branches  first  to  be  ap- 
pointed are  the  learned  women,  from  the  Kiangsi  prov- 
ince ....  and  from  the  Hupeh  province.  . . . The 
teachers  of  Chinese  are  yet  to  be  sought  out  by  the 
superintendents. 

29.  The  men  and  women  directors  shall  be  chosen 
by  ballot  by  those  w'ho  are  instituting  the  enterprise. 
Since  the  interested  are  widely  scattered  those  institut- 
ing the  work  will  go  forward  and  act  temporarily  until 
such  times  as  directors  can  be  selected. 

30.  For  the  present  all  contributions  may  be  sent  to 
the  office  of  the  Chinese  Progress.  Each  issue  will  con- 
tain names  of  contributors  with  amounts  contributed. 


Pioneer  Girls’  School  Established  105 

also  all  disbursements.  Everything  being  made  public 
will  insure  confidence  in  the  enterprise. 

31.  This  is  an  experimental  schedule  giving  the  gen- 
eral scope  of  the  enterprise.  After  the  school  opens 
the  teachers,  superintendents  and  directors  will  formu- 
late the  details.”  1 

True  to  their  purpose  the  men  who  had  orig- 
inated the  plan  very  soon  turned  over  the  ex- 
ecution of  it  to  their  wives  and  daughters, 
giving  their  own  efforts  to  raising  the  neces- 
sary funds.  The  committee  of  Chinese  ladies, 
thus  confronted  with  the  task  of  establishing 
and  determining  the  policy  of  this  pioneer  Chi- 
nese school  for  girls,  and  feeling  the  lack  of 
such  experience  or  training  as  would  fit  them 
for  an  undertaking  of  this  kind,  at  once  turned 
for  cooperation  and  advice  to  those  who  were 
more  versed  in  the  methods  of  woman’s  educa- 
tion. Dr.  Young  J.  Allen  and  Dr.  E.  T.  Wil- 
liams were  asked  to  furnish  them  a list  of 
the  foreign  ladies  in  Shanghai  who  would  be 
particularly  interested  in  the  plan.  This  was 
done,  and  in  December  of  1897  about  fifty  for- 
eign women,  consuls’  wives,  missionaries,  and 
others,  were  invited  by  the  committee  of  Chi- 
nese ladies  to  a banquet  served  in  a large  res- 
taurant in  one  of  the  Chinese  pleasure  gardens 

1 Miss  Gertrude  Howe,  in  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World , Jan.,  1898.  The  “learned  women”  referred  to 
in  28  were  two  graduates  of  mission  schools. 


io6  Education  of  Women  in  China 

of  Shanghai.  There  prospectuses  for  the  pro- 
posed school  were  shown,  and  suggestions  in- 
vited. 

From  that  time  on  the  foreign  women  of 
Shanghai  sustained  an  unofficial  but  very  help- 
ful advisory  relation  to  the  new  school.  Soon 
after  the  banquet  to  which  they  had  been  in- 
vited, they  entertained  the  school  directresses 
at  the  home  of  one  of  their  number,  for  a fur- 
ther discussion  of  plans;  and  when  the  school 
was  formally  opened,  the  first  of  June,  1898, 
ten  foreign  ladies  were  asked  to  be  present. 
Mrs.  Timothy  Richard,  who  was  one  of  the 
ten,  wrote  an  account  of  this  epoch-making 
event. 

“ By  this  time  sixteen  girls  belonging  to 
higher  class  families  had  been  enrolled  as  pu- 
pils and  boarders  at  the  moderate  fee  of  $3.10, 
which  included  everything.  We  were  taken 
over  the  building  and  shown  the  waiting  room, 
dining  rooms  and  dormitories.  The  arrange- 
ments in  these,  as  in  the  school,  room,  were 
very  much  after  the  model  of  the  mission 
school  for  higher  class  Chinese  girls,  namely 
that  at  McTyeire.  Maps  and  charts  of  the 
‘ Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Christian  and 
General  Knowledge,’  and  ‘ The  Educational 
Association,’  adorned  the  walls  of  the  school 
room.  A Christian  matron,  a member  of  the 


Pioneer  Girls’  School  Established  107 

North  Gate  church,  had  been  secured,  and 
also  the  services  of  a Christian  Chinese  girl 
(a  pupil  of  Miss  Haygood’- ) to  teach  English 
two  hours  daily.  Chinese  books  were  to  be 
taught  by  an  educated  Chinese  lady.  The 
funds  at  first  were  not  sufficient  to  meet  the 
salary  of  a foreign  lady  teacher.  . . . 

“ The  gathering  ended  in  a Chinese  dinner 
served  in  semi-foreign  fashion.  Suggestions 
or  remarks  were  again  invited.  Some  of  us 
spoke  of  our  entire  satisfaction  with  the  ar- 
rangements— the  cleanliness,  good  ventilation, 
etc. — and  I added  the  suggestion  that  the  Chi- 
nese lady  directresses  ought  to  attend  the  ap- 
proaching closing  exercises  in  the  mission  girls’ 
schools  in  Shanghai  and  judge  for  themselves 
of  the  attainments  of  the  girls  attending  these 
schools.”  2 

Mrs.  Richard  adds  that  “ this  advice  was 
acted  upon  and  furnished  occacion  for  other  in- 
teresting meetings  of  Chinese  and  foreign  la- 
dies, more  especially  in  the  cases  where  school 
exercises  were  accompanied  by  a ‘ Social,’  as 
in  the  case  of  the  McTyeire  and  Bridgman 
Homes.  The  familiarity  of  the  girls  in  these 
schools  with  such  varied  subjects — with  Eng- 
lish in  the  McTyeire,  with  Chinese  character, 

2 Report  of  the  Triennial  Meeting  of  the  Educational 
Association  of  China,  1899. 


108  Education  of  Women  in  China 

classics  and  history  in  the  Bridgman  Home, 
and  with  astronomy  and  mathematics  at  the 
South  Gate — astonished  and  pleased  the  ladies 
immensely.”  3 

The  keenest  interest  was  felt  in  the  progress 
of  the  school  by  all  the  friends  of  woman's  ed- 
ucation, and  many  of  them  freely  gave  it  the 
benefit  not  only  of  their  suggestions  but  of 
their  time  and  strength  as  well.  Mrs.  Richard 
says : 

“ At  the  request  of  the  directresses  I,  for 
some  time,  visited  the  school  once  a week,  ex- 
amined them  in  their  progress  in  English,  gave 
a lesson  in  geography  and  other  subjects  which 
the  then  native  staff  could  not  give.  Taking 
with  me  Betel's  Portable  Globe,  which  shuts 
up  like  an  umbrella,  it  was  easy  to  explain  the 
different  motions  of  the  earth,  and  the  cause 
of  seasons  and  eclipses.  That  such  explana- 
tions were  necessary  not  only  for  the  girls, 
but  for  the  Chinese  ladies  always  present  on 
these  occasions,  will  be  plain  from  the  fact 
that  at  the  second  lesson  one  of  the  otherwise 
intelligent  Chinese  ladies,  who  reads  and  writes 
Chinese  well,  gravely  asked  if  in  England  we 
had  the  same  sun  and  moon  that  they  have  in 
China,  and  when  assured  it  was  so,  remarked 

* Report  of  the  Triennial  Meeting  of  the  Educational 
Association  of  China,  1899. 


Pioneer  Girls’  School  Established  109 

that  of  course  when  it  was  new  moon  in  China 
it  would  be  full  moon  in  England  and  vice 
versa. 

“ When  the  school  was  closed  for  a month’s 
summer  vacation  there  were  twenty  pupils, 
eight  of  whom  had  unbound  feet. 

“ Before  the  reopening  of  the  school  the 
Chinese  committee  applied  to  the  Rev.  T. 
Richard,  Secretary  of  S.  D.  C.  K.  (Society 
for  the  Diffusion  of  Christian  and  General 
Knowledge)  for  an  English  lady  teacher  who 
would  superintend  not  only  the  boarding  school 
already  established  near  the  Arsenal,  but  the 
day  school  for  girls  about  to  be  opened  in  the 
native  city.  (Fees  in  the  day  school  $2.50  per 
month  for  tuition  and  one  meal  a day.)  Miss 
Allen  was  recommended.  She  visits  the 
schools  three  days  a week,  Monday,  Wednes- 
day and  Friday,  teaching  in  the  morning  at  the 
boarding  school  and  in  the  afternoon  at  the 
day  school.  Since  Chinese  New  Year  holidays 
she  has  besides  been  teaching  foreign  sewing 
on  Thursday  morning  at  the  boarding  school. 
She  teaches  English,  arithmetic,  geography  and 
drawing,  and  is  ably  assisted  in  the  boarding 
school  by  Miss  Ting,  who  was  educated  in  St. 
Mary’s  School,  Jessfield,  and  is  a devoted 
Christian;  and  in  the  day  school  by  Miss  Zee, 
a Christian  from  Miss  Hay  good’s  school.  . . . 


iio  Education  of  Women  in  China 

The  closing  exercises  before  Chinese  New 
Year  were  largely  attended  by  foreign  ladies. 
...  We  were  much  pleased  with  the  prog- 
ress made  in  English,  reading  and  spelling, 
writing,  arithmetic  and  native  drawing. 
After  the  exercises  Dr.  Allen  shortly  ad- 
dressed the  school  and  visitors,  the  former  in 
Shanghai  dialect,  the  latter  in  English.  . . . 
Mrs.  N.  P.  Anderson  then  distributed  the 
prizes.”  4 

In  connection  with  the  school  a monthly 
paper,  known  as  “ The  Chinese  Girls’  Prog- 
ress,” was  published,  the  purpose  of  which 
was  to  advance  the  cause  of  woman’s  educa- 
tion. The  promoters  of  the  school  also  organ- 
ized a “ Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Knowl- 
edge among  Chinese  Women.”  Such  interest 
as  this  made  the  hopes  of  all  run  high.  Miss 
Melvin  woke  a responsive  echo  in  the  hearts  of 
many  when  she  called  the  new  school  “ the 
greatest  wonder  of  the  age,”  and  no  friend  of 
Chinese  women  failed  to  understand  the  feel- 
ing of  the  venerable  Dr.  Allen,  who,  as  he 
stood  before  the  students  and  guests  assem- 
bled to  celebrate  the  closing  exercises  of  this 
first  school  for  girls,  established  by  the  Chi- 
nese themselves,  declared  that  he  felt  inclined 

4 Report  of  the  Triennial  Meeting  of  the  Educational 
Association  of  China,  1899. 


Pioneer  Girls’  School  Established  in 


to  say,  “ Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant 
depart  in  peace.” 

It  was  a crushing  disappointment  to  the 
friends  and  promoters  of  the  school,  when  less 
than  two  years  after  its  opening,  it  was  forced 
to  close  its  doors  in  obedience  to  the  orders 
of  the  Empress  Dowager.  In  common  with 
many  other  progressive  movements  it  was 
swept  away  in  the  reaction  which  followed  the 
too  sudden  reform  edicts  of  the  young  Em- 
peror, Kuang  Hsu.  The  school  had  been  born 
but  to  die,  but  the  spirit  which  gave  it  birth 
had  become  so  deeply  rooted  in  the  hearts  of 
many  earnest  Chinese,  that  those  who  knew 
were  sure  that  that  spirit  could  not  die.  They 
knew  that  it  would  manifest  itself  when  the 
storm  had  passed,  and  were  confident  that  the 
school  which  had  been  both  the  fulfilment  and 
inspiration  of  so  much  faith  and  hope,  was 
but  a forerunner  of  many  other  schools,  which 
the  people  of  China  would  establish  and  carry 
on  for  the  education  of  their  daughters. 


VI 


THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  GENTRY 
AND  GOVERNMENT  SCHOOLS 

THE  storm  of  reaction  against  the  new 
order  of  progress  was  severe,  but 
short.  At  the  beginning  of  1901  the 
clouds  were  rapidly  disappearing  and  the  spirit 
of  the  new  era  had  begun  to  reassert  itself. 
By  the  close  of  that  year  another  school  for 
girls  had  been  established  in  Shanghai,  bearing 
the  name  “ Wupun,”  or  “ Strive  For  Duty 
School.”  The  following  year  another  school 
for  girls,  known  as  the  “ I-Kwo,”  or  “ Patri- 
otic School,”  was  established,  followed  in  1903 
by  the  Chung-mang  School,  founded  by  a 
wealthy  Chinese  widow,  and  in  1904  by  the 
Ch’Eng  Tung  School,  established  by  a Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Yang.  The  year  1905  marked  the 
founding  of  four  more  similar  schools,  one 
of  them  under  the  management  of  the  Anti- 
Foot-binding  Society.  Four  others  followed  in 
1906,  making  at  the  beginning  of  1907  a total 
of  twelve  schools  for  girls  in  Shanghai  alone, 
supported  and  controlled  wholly  by  the  Chi- 
112 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  113 

nese,  and  with  a total  enrollment  of  over  eight 
hundred  students.1 

Very  significant  of  the  new  era  were  the 
courses  of  study  offered  in  these  schools.  In 
addition  to  the  preparatory  and  academic  work, 
many  of  them  had  normal  departments  for  the 
training  of  teachers,  a few  gave  industrial 
training,  and  one  included  a medical  course 
in  its  curriculum.  In  almost  all,  physical  cul- 
ture was  a part  of  the  regular  work,  and  in  five 
of  them  unbound  feet  were  made  a condition 
of  entrance.  It  was  indicative  of  a new  era, 
too,  that  in  each  school  regular  rates  of  board 
and  tuition  were  charged,  and  that  whereas 
some  were  partly  supported  by  subscriptions 
others  claimed  to  be  wholly  self-supporting. 
Three  schools  were  established  and  carried  on 
by  men  and  their  wives,  working  jointly,  this 
in  itself  a proof  that  a new  day  had  dawned 
in  China.  Of  the  others,  the  majority  were 
founded  by  public-spirited  Chinese  men;  the 
remainder  by  progressive  Chinese  women.  All, 
of  course,  included  women  on  the  staff,  and 
as  practically  the  only  educated  women  in 
China  were  those  trained  in  Christian  schools, 
it  followed  that  many  of  the  teachers  were 
Christian  women.  In  two  of  the  schools  part 

1 Miss  Julia  Yen,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
June,  1907. 


1 14  Education  of  Women  in  China 

of  the  teaching  was  done  by  women  mission- 
aries. 

If  Robert  Morrison  could  have  had  a 
prophetic  vision  of  Shanghai  at  the  time  of  the 
great  Morrison  Centennial  held  there  in  1907 
to  commemorate  his  arrival  in  China,  probably 
nothing  would  have  caused  him  greater  aston- 
ishment than  the  sight  of  this  company  of 
people,  men  and  women,  Chinese  and  foreign, 
Christian  and  non-Christian,  working  together 
in  harmonious  unity  created  by  their  common 
interest  in  that  once  despised  and  rejected 
cause — the  education  of  Chinese  women. 

To  Shanghai  belongs  the  honour  of  having 
been  the  first  city  in  which  a modern  school 
for  girls  was  established,  and  carried  on  by 
the  Chinese,  but  interest  in  woman’s  education 
had  now  become  so  general  that  such  schools 
were  soon  started  in  many  parts  of  the  Empire. 

The  Empress  Dowager,  who  in  1900  had  so 
frowned  upon  the  pioneer  school  in  Shanghai 
that  it  had  been  forced  to  close  its  doors,  be- 
came, a few  years  later,  a warm  advocate  and 
patron  of  woman’s  education.  Dr.  Isaac  Tay- 
lor Headland  of  Peking  University  gives  an 
interesting  account  of  a conversation  with  her 
on  the  subject. 

“ On  one  occasion  while  in  the  theatre  she 
called  me  to  her  side,  and  giving  me  a chair. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  115 

inquired  at  length  into  the  system  of  female 
education  in  America. 

“ ‘ I have  heard/  she  said,  4 that  in  your  hon- 
ourable country  all  the  girls  are  taught  to  read/ 
“ ‘ Quite  so,  your  Majesty/ 

“ ‘ And  are  they  taught  the  same  branches 
of  study  as  the  boys?’ 

“ ‘ In  the  public  schools  they  are/ 

“ ‘ I wish  very  much  that  the  girls  in  China 
might  also  be  taught,  but  the  people  have  great 
difficulty  in  educating  their  boys/ 

“ I then  explained  in  a few  words  our  public 
school  system,  to  which  she  replied : 

“ ‘ The  taxes  in  China  are  so  heavy  at  pres- 
ent that  it  would  be  impossible  to  add  another 
expense  such  as  this  would  be/ 

“ It  was  not  long  thereafter,  however,  before 
an  edict  was  issued  commending  female  edu- 
cation, and  at  the  present  time  hundreds  of 
girls’  schools  have  been  established  by  private 
persons  both  in  Peking  and  throughout  the 
Empire.”  2 

At  the  orders  of  the  Empress  a large  Lama 
convent  was  transformed  into  a school  for 
girls  3 and  it  is  reported  also  that  she  gave 

2 Headland,  Court  Life  in  China,  Chap.  VII,  pp. 
102  f. 

3 Hon.  John  Foster,  in  National  Geographic  Magazine , 
Dec.,  1906. 


1 1 6 Education  of  Women  in  China 

ioo.ooo  taels  (about  $65,000)  to  the  cause  of 
woman’s  education  in  Peking.4  Other  women 
of  wealth  and  rank  were  quick  to  follow  her 
example,  and  girls'  schools  sprang  up  in  many 
parts  of  the  Empire. 

Mrs.  Isaac  Taylor  Headland,  who  through 
her  skill  as  a physician  had  become  acquainted 
with  many  of  the  women  of  this  class,  tells  of 
a visit  to  the  school  conducted  by  Princess  Su 
in  a building  within  her  own  palace  grounds: 

“ The  school  building  was  evidently  de- 
signed for  that  purpose,  being  light  and  airy 
with  the  whole  southern  exposure  made  into 
windows  and  covered  with  a thin  white  paper 
which  gives  a soft,  restful  light  and  shuts  out 
the  glare  of  the  sun.  The  floor  is  covered  with 
a heavy  rope  matting,  while  the  walls  are  hung 
with  botanical,  zoological  and  other  charts. 
Besides  the  usual  furniture  for  a well-equipped 
school  room  it  was  heated  with  a foreign  stove, 
had  glass  cases  for  their  embroidery  and  draw- 
ing materials,  and  a good  American  organ  to 
direct  them  in  singing,  dancing  and  calis- 
thenics. 

“ I arrived  at  recess.  The  Princess  took  me 
into  the  teacher’s  den,  which  was  cut  off  from 
the  main  room  by  a beautifully  caned  screen. 

* Notes  and  Queries,  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
Dec.,  1906. 


Government  School  for  Girls — Canton 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  1 1 7 

Here  I was  introduced  to  the  Japanese  lady 
teacher  and  served  with  tea.  She  spoke  no 
English  and  but  little  Chinese  and  the  embar- 
rassment of  our  effort  to  converse  was  only 
relieved  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell  for  school. 
The  pupils,  consisting  of  the  secondary  wives 
and  daughters  of  the  Prince,  his  son’s  wife, 
and  the  wives  and  daughters  of  his  dead 
brother  who  make  their  home  with  him,  en- 
tered in  an  orderly  way  and  took  their  seats. 

. . . “ ‘ How  long  has  the  school  been  in 
session?  ’ I asked  the  Princess. 

“ ‘ Three  and  a half  months,’  she  replied. 

“ ‘ And  they  have  done  all  this  embroidery 
and  painting  in  that  time  ? ’ 

“ ‘ They  have,  and  in  addition  have  pursued 
their  Western  studies,’  she  explained. 

“ In  arithmetic  the  teacher  placed  the  exam- 
ples on  the  board,  the  pupils  worked  them  on 
their  slates,  after  which  each  was  called  upon 
for  an  explanation,  which  she  gave  in  Jap- 
anese. While  this  class  was  reciting  the  Prince 
came  in  and  asked  if  we  might  not  have  calis- 
thenics, evidently  thinking  that  I would  enjoy 
the  drill  more  than  the  mathematics.  It  was 
interesting  to  see  those  Manchu  ladies  stand 
and  go  through  a thorough  physical  drill  to 
the  tune  of  a lively  march  on  a foreign  or- 
gan. . . . 


1 1 8 Education  of  Women  in  China 

“ ‘ The  young  ladies  do  not  comb  their  hair 
in  the  regular  Manchu  style/  I observed  to 
the  Princess. 

No/  she  answered,  ‘ we  do  not  think  that 
best.  It  is  not  very  convenient  and  so  we  have 
them  dress  it  in  the  small  coil  on  the  top  of 
the  head,  as  you  see.  Neither  do  we  allow 
them  to  wear  flowers  in  their  hair,  nor  to  paint 
or  powder,  or  wear  shoes  with  centre  eleva- 
tions on  the  soles.  We  try  to  give  them 
the  greatest  possible  convenience  and  com- 
fort.’ . . . 

“ 4 Of  what  does  their  course  of  study  con- 
sist ? ’ I asked  the  Princess. 

“ She  went  to  the  wall  and  took  down  a gilt 
frame  which  contained  their  curriculum  and 
which  she  asked  her  eldest  daughter  to  copy  for 
me.  They  had  five  studies  each  day,  six  days 
of  the  week,  Sunday  being  a holiday.  They 
began  with  arithmetic,  followed  it  up  with 
Japanese  language,  needlework,  music  and 
calisthenics,  then  took  Chinese  language,  draw- 
ing, and  Chinese  history,  with  the  writing  of 
the  ideographs  of  their  own  language,  which 
was  one  of  the  most  difficult  tasks  they  had 
to  perform.”  5 

The  sister  of  Prince  Su,  who  had  married 

* Headland,  Court  Life  in  Chino,  Chap.  XIV,  pp. 
214-217. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  119 

a Mongol  prince,  was  eager  to  start  a school 
for  girls  in  her  Mongolian  home,  and  during 
a visit  to  Peking  went  with  Mrs.  Headland  to 
visit  the  girls’  school  of  the  Methodist  Mis- 
sion. When  she  left  for  her  home  she  took 
with  her  a Japanese  woman  teacher,  and  soon 
had  a school  for  girls  in  full  operation.  Sev- 
enteen of  her  pupils  came  with  her  on  her 
next  visit  to  Peking,  both  to  see  the  capital 
and  to  visit  the  schools  for  girls  which  had 
been  established  there.  On  their  return  they 
were  accompanied  by  an  educated  young  Chi- 
nese woman,  who  was  to  teach  the  Chinese 
classics  in  the  school. 

Still  another  sister  of  Prince  Su  organized 
a school  in  Peking,  in  which  she  soon  had 
eighty  or  more  girls  taken  from  various  grades 
of  society.  A Japanese  teacher  had  charge 
of  the  physical  culture  and  gave  instruction  in 
the  rudiments  of  Western  mathematics,  but 
the  Princess,  who  had  learned  to  read  in  child- 
hood by  bribing  some  of  the  palace  eunuchs  to 
teach  her,  conducted  much  of  the  work  in  the 
Chinese  classics  herself.6 

The  relation  between  these  “ gentry 
schools,”  as  they  are  commonly  termed,  and 
the  mission  schools  in  the  city  has  been  a very 

6 Headland,  Court  Life  in  China,  Chap.  XIV,  pp. 
218-222. 


120  Education  of  Women  in  China 

cordial  one.  Those  interested  in  the  mission 
schools  rejoiced  in  the  new-born  interest  in 
the  education  of  women,  and  were  eager  to  be 
of  any  possible  service  to  the  Chinese  women 
who  were  so  courageously  giving  themselves 
to  this  cause. 

“ Once  a week  I give  a half  hour  of  work 
to  an  outside  school  kept  by  a Chinese  lady 
of  great  learning  in  Confucian  lines,”  wrote 
Miss  Reed  of  the  North  China  Union  College. 
“ These  little  maidens  are  expected  to  keep  in 
perfect  order  along  the  stiff  old  lines,  and  their 
stiffness  hardly  accords  with  modern  exer- 
cises, so  between  that  and  the  mummifying 
effect  of  their  voluminous  winter  clothing  I 
am  rather  in  despair  over  them.  But  we 
keep  working  away  the  best  we  can,  and 
in  the  meantime  the  friendship  between  the 
teacher  and  our  ladies  here  continues  and 
grows.”  7 

At  another  time  she  wrote : “ In  the  early 
spring  we  were  asked  to  attend  an  annual 
exhibition  at  a large  school  in  the  west  city, 
an  hour’s  trip  from  here.  We  were  also  asked 
to  send  an  exhibit,  and,  as  we  do  not  do  any 
of  the  knitting  and  embroider}’  which  they 
make  much  of,  we  sent  sets  of  examination  pa- 
pers, specimens  of  writing,  and  so  on.  It 
T Life  and  Light  for  Woman,  Aug.,  1908. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  121 

seemed  to  be  one  of  the  ways  to  show  our 
very  friendly  feeling,  and  to  show,  too,  our 
idea  of  school  work.  . . . We  tried  another 
plan  at  the  time  of  our  final  examinations. 
The  mornings  we  gave  to  quiet  written  exam- 
inations, but  in  the  afternoon  we  invited  people 
in  and  the  girls  gave  little  talks  on  the  dif- 
ferent subjects,  with  illustrations,  all  pre- 
pared beforehand.  This  in  zoology,  physiol- 
ogy,  geography,  physics  and  chemistry  could 
be  made  especially  interesting.  We  had  a sur- 
prising number  of  guests,  teachers  from  dif- 
ferent schools  and  women  of  education  in  the 
city,  and  we  considered  the  plan  a great  suc- 
cess for  them,  as  well  as  a training  for  our 
own  girls  in  speaking  before  others.”  8 

Miss  Porter  of  Peking  wrote  of  Miss  Chi, 
a Chinese  woman,  the  only  child  of  an  official 
who  had  educated  her  as  if  she  had  been  a 
son,  “ She  has  established  a private  school  for 
girls  and  of  all  the  teachers  we  meet  is  the 
one  whose  methods  and  aims  seem  most  com- 
mendable. Several  of  her  pupils  attend  many 
of  our  services,  and  there  is  a feeling  of  gen- 
uine friendliness  growing  between  us.”  9 
Encouraging  as  were  the  evidences  of  inter- 

8 Miss  Reed,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Woman , Dec., 
1908. 

9 Life  and  Light  for  Woman , Aug.,  1907. 


122  Education  of  Women  in  China 

est  in  the  education  of  women  shown  by  the 
founding  of  gentry  schools  by  individuals  or 
groups  of  individuals,  the  establishment  of  a 
system  of  woman’s  education  by  the  govern- 
ment was  an  even  greater  step  in  advance.  In 
the  preface  to  “ The  Awakening  of  China,*' 
written  October  30th,  1906,  Dr.  W.  A.  P.  Mar- 
tin says,  “ Still  more  surprising  are  the  steps 
taken  toward  the  intellectual  emancipation  of 
women  in  China.  One  of  the  leading  ministers 
of  education  assured  me  the  other  day  that  he 
was  pushing  the  establishment  of  schools  for 
girls.” 

When  the  Imperial  Commission  of  1906  was 
sent  out  the  commissioners  were  instructed  to 
study  woman's  education  in  other  countries. 
His  Excellency,  Tuan  Fang,  who  was  a member 
of  the  commission,  returned  to  China  full  of 
enthusiasm  on  the  subject,  and  it  is  said  that 
his  report  of  his  observations  led  the  Board  of 
Education  to  decide  to  push  woman's  educa- 
tion without  further  delay.  “ Tuan  Fang’s 
idea  is  that  graduates  of  female  high  and  nor- 
mal schools  may  be  put  in  charge  of  primary 
schools,  and  with  a constantly  growing  num- 
ber of  educated  women,  children  will  have  in 
the  near  future,  the  valuable  privilege  of  a 
mother  s teaching  at  home,  the  real  school  for 
patriots.  None,  he  says,  are  greater  patriots 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  123 

and  more  loyal  to  a government  than 
women.”  10 

In  this  same  year  a missionary  in  North 
China  wrote : “ The  Chinese  now  have  under 
consideration  schemes  for  establishing  schools 
for  girls  to  be  under  government  control,  and 
a system  of  land  tax  is  to  be  instituted  to  sup- 
port them.  These  schools  will  be  for  the  bene- 
fit of  girls  of  the  wealthy  class,  for  the 
board  and  tuition  will  be  free  as  in  the  govern- 
ment schools  for  young  men,  yet  there  are  so 
many  other  expenses  connected  with  the  school 
that  none  but  the  well-to-do  can  take  advan- 
tage of  them.”  11 

Two  years  later  the  Peking  correspondent 
of  the  “Shanghai  Times”  reported:  “The 
Ministry  of  Education  has  submitted  to  the 
Throne  regulations  for  establishing  girls’ 
schools,  normal  and  primary,  throughout  the 
empire.  The  regulations  have  received  the  Im- 
perial sanction  and  were  published  in  full  in 
the  ‘ Peking  Gazette.’  Normal  schools  are  to 
be  founded  first  in  the  provincial  capitals, 
afterwards  in  the  prefectural  cities,  and  later 
in  the  country  cities;  the  primary  schools  are 

10  Hon.  John  Foster,  in  National  Geographic  Maga-' 
zine,  Dec.,  1906. 

11  Dr.  Terry,  in  Woman's  Missionary  Friend Oct., 
1906. 


124  Education  of  Women  in  China 

to  be  established  everywhere.  The  schools  are 
to  be  government  schools  mainly,  but  private 
enterprise  is  also  encouraged,  private  founda- 
tions being  subject  to  official  inspection.  Per- 
mission is  given  for  the  employment  of  for- 
eign as  well  as  native  lady  teachers.”  12 

The  following  year  (1909)  the  “North 
China  Daily  Herald  ” published  a brief  para- 
graph stating  that  “ Her  Highness  the  Prin- 
cess Consort  to  the  Prince  Regent  has  pro- 
posed that  a National  Education  Association 
should  be  founded,  of  which  she  will  be  the 
president.”  13  A note  in  “ Woman’s  Work  in 
the  Far  East  ” for  December  of  the  same  year 
reported : “ Schools  for  women  are  being 
opened  in  every  direction  by  the  Chinese,  and 
the  Throne  has  recently  decided  to  require  Chi- 
nese lady  students  educated  abroad  to  come 
to  Peking  for  examination  in  order  that  their 
help  may  be  secured  and  applied  to  the  best 
advantage  in  the  education  of  Chinese  women 
at  home.”  14 

The  government  has  not  confined  itself  to 
considering  suggestions  and  drawing  up  regu- 
lations, however.  While  the  Board  of  Educa- 

**  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East,  Sept..  1908. 

11  North  China  Daily  Herald,  Aug.  7,  1909. 

14  Notes  and  Queries,  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
Dec.,  1909. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  125 

tion  has  been  discussing  methods  and  perfect- 
ing plans,  the  viceroys  have  been  busy  estab- 
lishing schools  for  girls  in  their  respective 
provinces.  Yuan  Shih  Kai,  the  progressive 
viceroy  of  the  province  of  Chihli,  pushed 
schools  for  girls  in  his  territory  with  great 
energy.  Peking  was  reported  to  have  twenty 
schools  for  girls,  outside  of  the  mission  schools, 
in  1908,  and  between  1905  and  1908  twenty 
such  schools  were  opened  by  the  Board  of 
Education  in  Tientsin  and  its  suburbs,  the  ex- 
penses being  met  partly  by  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation and  partly  by  outside  subscriptions.15 

Modern  education  even  found  its  way  into 
the  districts  beyond  the  cities.  As  early  as 
1906  a Tientsin  missionary  who  had  been  mak- 
ing a study  of  the  Chinese  schools  for  girls 
in  and  about  Tientsin  wrote: 

“ But  the  most  astounding  discovery  in  girls’ 
schools  was  not  made  in  the  City  of  the  Heav- 
enly Ford  (Tientsin)  but  on  a missionary 
country  trip  one  hundred  li  from  the  city.  We 
had  previously  travelled  through  the  mud  vil- 
lage of  Pei-yeng-chiao  and  had  mentally 
dubbed  it  ‘ The  White  Pig  Village,’  since  the 
pigs  were  not  of  the  usual  Chinese  variety.  A 
native  pastor  in  a neighbouring  village  in- 

13  Mrs.  G.  T.  Candlin,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far 
East , March,  1908. 


126  Education  of  Women  in  China 

formed  us  that  there  was  actually  a modern 
girls’  school  in  this  forlorn  hamlet.  We  se- 
cured a letter  of  introduction  to  the  teacher, 
taking  care  that  it  should  declare  that  our 
purpose  was  not  ‘ to  preach  the  doctrine  ’ but 
simply  to  pay  our  respects  to  this  honourable 
school.  The  letter  was  sent  in  doubt  about 
missionaries  being  admitted,  but  at  once  a 
polite  invitation  to  enter  was  sent — an  invita- 
tion which  included  the  4 Mu  Shih  ’ as  well  as 
his  harmless  wife.  In  the  inner  court  the 
teacher  herself  met  us  and  offered  her  hand 
in  foreign  style.  As  we  entered  the  school 
room  the  pupils  arose.  They  were  evidently 
frightened  at  the  appearance  of  two  outlandish 
foreigners  and  much  relieved  when  we  were 
conducted  into  the  teacher’s  own  sanctum — a 
tastefully  fitted  up  inner  room. 

“ Over  the  usual  teacups  we  said,  * We  have 
visited  the  government  schools  in  Tientsin  and 
wish  to  see  if  this  admirable  school  is  similarly 
arranged.’  To  this  she  replied,  1 This  is  a 
miserable  hamlet  and  cannot  be  compared  with 
a city  school.’  ‘ What  is  your  honourable 
school’s  schedule  of  studies  ? ’ * Only  a few 

ordinary  lessons,’  and  thereupon  she  placed 
before  us  an  elaborate  program  for  every 
day,  much  like  that  of  a Western  school.  The 
‘ few  ordinary  lessons  ’ included  etiquette,  Chi- 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  127 

nese  language,  arithmetic,  geography,  elemen- 
ary  science,  sewing,  drawing,  calisthenics  and 
music.”  16 

Reports  for  the  year  1907  show  that  there 
were  at  that  time  outside  of  Peking  12 1 gov- 
ernment and  gentry  schools  for  girls  in  Chihli, 
with  2,523  students. 

In  1906  the  United  States  consul  at  Nan- 
king wrote : “ The  viceroy  of  the  Liang-Kiang 
province,  Choufu,  one  of  the  most  progressive 
of  the  higher  Chinese  officials,  has  recently 
founded  a school  for  girls  in  Nanking.  At 
the  opening,  which  was  largely  attended,  the 
viceroy  delivered  an  address  which  impressed 
the  people  that  this  girls’  school  was  no  ordi- 
nary institution.  It  is  supported  by  subscrip- 
tions from  a number  of  the  leading  tao-tais  of 
Nanking,  who  have  raised  $4,296,  and  the 
viceroy  has  subscribed  $1,432,  annually.  The 
school  is  located  in  a quiet  place,  with  spacious 
buildings.  Six  women  teachers  have  been  en- 
gaged, three  to  teach  English,  and  three  to 
teach  Chinese.  The  opening  of  the  school  is  an 
important  event  in  Nanking,  as  it  is  really  the 
birth  of  female  education  in  that  ancient  city. 
The  interest  taken  in  the  school  by  the  leading 
officials  of  Nanking  indicates  the  dawning  of 

18  Mrs.  M.  L.  Taft,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far 
East , Sept.,  1906. 


128  Education  of  Women  in  China 

freedom  for  China’s  women  and  girls.  For  the 
last  few  years  the  missionary  girls’  schools 
have  been  doing  good  work,  but  this  is  the 
first  school  established  under  the  patronage 
of  the  viceroy.  China  is  awakening  to  realize 
that  a nation’s  strength  and  prosperity  lie  in 
the  education  of  her  daughters.”  17 

A statistical  report  of  the  educational  work 
in  Nanking,  published  in  1909,  shows  that 
there  were  in  that  year,  exclusive  of  the  mis- 
sion schools,  nine  government  schools  for  girls, 
and  three  gentry  schools,  with  a total  of  598 
pupils  in  the  government  schools,  154  in  the 
gentry  schools. 

In  the  year  1909  alone  thirteen  girls’  schools 
were  opened  by  the  government  in  Nanchang, 
the  capital  of  Kiangsi  province.  In  1905  an 
imperial  edict  in  Foochow,  the  capital  of  Fuh- 
kien  province,  announced  that  a normal  school 
for  women  and  girls  would  be  opened  by  the 
government.  The  viceroy  and  provincial  of- 
ficials were  the  patrons  of  the  school,  and  no 
expense  was  spared  to  make  it  successful.  Far- 
ther south,  in  Canton,  twenty-five  government 
and  gentry  schools  for  girls  were  reported  in 
1908.  Over  two  hundred  young  women  are 
now  enrolled  in  the  normal  school  alone.  In 
the  spring  of  1906  the  viceroy  of  Shantung 
17  Missionary  Review  of  the  World,  Feb.,  1907. 


Government  Kindergarten  at  Foochow  in  Session 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  129 

province  sent  an  envoy  to  Tengchow,  the 
capital,  with  orders  “ to  arrange  for  the  open- 
ing of  girls’  schools  not  only  in  Tengchow  but 
wherever  possible  in  neighbouring  cities.”  18 
Even  from  conservative  Hunan  came  news  of 
a government  school  for  girls  in  Changsha, 
with  a primary  and  normal  department,  where 
200  students  were  “ studying  English,  arith- 
metic, Chinese,  and  domestic  science  ” 19  In 
far  Szechuan,  49  government  and  gentry 
schools  for  girls,  with  a total  number  of  1,897 
students,  were  reported  in  1908,  in  addition  to 
297  elementary  schools  in  which  both  boys 
and  girls  were  pupils. 

18  Mrs.  Calvin  Wight,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far 
East , June,  1907. 

19  Rev.  Brownell  Gage,  in  Chinese  Recorder , Dec., 
1907. 


VII 


THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE  GENTRY 
AND  GOVERNMENT  SCHOOLS 

WHEN  the  Chinese  had  once  awakened 
to  the  importance  of  woman’s  edu- 
cation, they  did  not  hesitate  to  ex- 
pend large  sums  of  money  in  the  establishment 
of  girls’  schools.  Among  the  prominent  char- 
acteristics of  these  schools  are  the  comfortable 
and  attractive  buildings  in  which  many  of  them 
are  housed. 

“ These  schools  have  been  opened  by  the 
government,”  writes  a visitor  to  the  Foochow 
Woman’s  Normal  School  and  Kindergarten, 
“ and  are  in  a magnificent  house,  the  best  in 
the  city  and  probably  in  the  province.  There 
are  seven  blocks,  very  wide,  and  several  up- 
stairs rooms,  beautiful  stone  work  and  carved 
woodwork.  The  normal  school  is  in  the  first 
two  blocks,  the  kindergarten  in  the  fourth  and 
fifth.  These  are  separated  from  the  rest  of 
the  house  by  gardens  with  ponds  and  rookeries, 
some  higher  than  the  surrounding  houses  and 
affording  a good  view  of  the  city  and  neigh- 
130 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  13 1 

bouring  hills,  especially  ‘ Black  Rock  Hill/  . . 
We  were  admitted  to  the  kindergarten  school 
through  the  play  room;  there  were  rocking- 
horses,  dumb-bells,  pails,  carts  on  wheels  in 
abundance,  gaily  painted  floors,  plenty  of  light 
and  air.”  1 

A missionary  from  Tientsin  writes,  “ A visit 
to  the  Kaodung  reveals  many  things  most 
gratifying  to  the  friends  of  China.  The  new 
school  building  was  constructed  for  this  very 
purpose  and  the  rooms  are  large,  high  and  airy. 
There  are  several  good-sized  recitation  rooms, 
an  inviting  guest  room,  a large  room  combin- 
ing library  and  worship  hall,  a dining  room, 
pleasant  teachers’  rooms  and  commodious 
dormitories.  Each  student  room  will  accom- 
modate three  or  four  students.  These  are  fur- 
nished with  simple  single  beds  and  the  beds 
are  tastefully  draped  with  curtains,  usually  of 
light  blue.  Each  student  has  decorated  her 
corner  with  pictures  and  trinkets  so  dear  to 
the  girl  heart  in  every  land,  and  the  sight  is 
very  delightful.  In  connection  with  the  dor- 
mitories are  bath  rooms  provided  with  foreign 
tubs.  The  dining  room  has  an  ingenious 
barrel-like  opening  into  the  kitchen.  As  it 
revolves  it  permits  food  to  be  passed  in  and 

1 Miss  M.  J.  Shire,  in  India's  Women  and  China's 
Daughters , Feb.,  1908. 


132  Education  of  Women  in  China 

out,  but  prevents  either  the  cook  from  seeing 
the  students,  or  the  students  from  seeing  the 
cook.  We  were  present  at  the  time  of  the 
midday  meal  and  noted  the  white  rice  and 
abundant  variety  of  vegetables.”  2 

Neither  was  expense  spared  in  providing  the 
schools  with  apparatus  of  various  kinds.  “ The 
schools  seemed  well  supplied  with  physical  and 
chemical  apparatus,”  3 wrote  a visitor  to  Pe- 
king and  Tientsin  who  had  been  inspecting 
the  schools  established  there.  Even  the  school 
in  the  “ White  Pig  Village  ” boasted  “ bio- 
logical, zoological  and  physical  culture  charts, 
also  maps  and  blackboards  ” and  an  organ 
from  Japan. 

The  salaries  paid  the  teachers  are  usually 
very  large  as  salaries  go  in  China,  sometimes 
extravagantly  so.  “ The  matron  told  us  that 
the  teachers’  salaries  vary  from  ‘ over  ten  to 
forty  dollars  a month,’  ” said  a missionary, 
after  a visit  to  the  Foochow  Woman’s  Normal 
School.  “ We  consider  ten  dollars  a month 
an  enormous  salary.”  4 “ The  teacher  has  very 

2 Mrs.  M.  L.  Taft,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East, 
Sept.,  1906. 

3 Dr.  Mary  Carleton,  in  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World,  Feb.,  1908. 

4 Miss  M.  J.  Shire,  in  India's  Women  and  China's 
Daughters,  Feb.,  1908. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  133 

light  work,  teaching  arithmetic,  geography 
and  physical  culture  for  three  hours  a day,  and 
the  salary  is  nearly  five  times  what  we  offer 
our  teachers,”  5 reads  the  letter  of  another,  who 
had  been  talking  with  a teacher  in  a govern- 
ment school  in  Peking.  Another,  after  visiting 
a government  normal  school,  wrote  of  one  of 
the  pupil  teachers,  “ She  is  a very  clever  girl 
of  nineteen  or  twenty  and  gets  thirty  dollars  a 
month  while  in  training.  (This  is  eight  times 
the  salary  of  my  day  school  teacher.)  ” 6 

A letter  from  Dr.  Carleton  of  Foochow 
tells  of  an  interesting  case.  “ We  visited 
Emily  Hsu,  and  with  her  visited  two  schools 
in  which  she  teaches.  Emily  is  also  tutoring 
in  a private  family.  If  I remember  correctly 
she  teaches  two  hours  in  each  of  the  two 
schools,  and  tutors  one  or  two  hours.  For  this 
service  she  receives  $140  (Mexican)  per 
month.  To  appreciate  what  this  munificent 
income  means  one  must  compare  it  with  the 
salary  of  other  teachers.  A first  degree  man, 
purely  a native  teacher,  may  be  employed  for 
from  four  to  six  dollars  a month.  Young 
men  with  a small  knowledge  of  English  com- 
mand from  ten  to  twenty  dollars  a month. 

0 Miss  Mary  Andrews,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Women, 
Nov.,  1907. 

6 Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  March,  1906. 


134  Education  of  Women  in  China 

Young  men,  graduates  from  our  Anglo- 
Chinese  College,  start  in  at  the  post  office  or 
customs,  clerking,  with  twenty  dollars  a 
month. 

“ Emily  Hsu  was  educated  in  our  girls’ 
boarding  school  and  later  in  Foochow  Confer- 
ence Seminar\\,  where  she  learned  English,  and 
I believe  she  also  learned  a little  Mandarin. 
She  quietly  goes  off  up  to  Tientsin  and  walks 
into  this  post  with  a salary  each  month  as 
great,  or  nearly  so,  as  her  father,  a presiding 
elder  in  our  conference,  receives  in  a year.”  7 

Even  more  remarkable  was  the  salary  re- 
cently offered  a native  kindergarten  teacher, 
$100  gold,  not  Mexican,  a month,8  a salary 
much  larger  than  that  which  single  mission- 
aries receive,  although  living  expenses  are  nec- 
essarily much  higher  for  a foreigner  than  for 
a Chinese. 

The  courses  of  study  pursued  in  the  gov- 
ernment and  gentry  schools  van'  largely  in 
detail,  but  on  the  whole  show  much  similarity. 
Sometimes  the  curriculum  is  extremely  sim- 
ple. “ The  studies  at  present  are  Chinese, 
arithmetic  and  needlework,” 9 wrote  a cor- 

T Dr.  Mary  Carleton,  in  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World,  Feb.,  1908. 

• Mrs.  J.  W.  Bashford,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Women, 
Jan..  1908. 

* North  China  Daily  Herald,  Sept.  25,  1909. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  135 

respondent  of  the  “ North  China  Daily  Her- 
ald,” of  a newly  established  school  in  the  in- 
terior. Somewhat  more  elaborate  is  the  course 
of  the  Woman’s  Normal  School  of  Foochow, 
where  “ classics,  Mandarin,  arithmetic  and 
geography,  needlework,  embroidery,  artificial 
flower  making,  crochet  in  cotton  and  wool,  are 
taught,”  10  although  the  greater  length  of  the 
curriculum  is  caused  chiefly  by  the  addition  of 
the  courses  in  handwork. 

The  more  elaborate  course  of  study  in  the 
Public  School  for  Girls,  of  Tientsin,  is  proba- 
bly fairly  representative  of  the  work  offered 
by  the  larger  schools.  “ The  Handbook  Guide 
to  Tientsin  ” reports  that  the  students  of  the 
Public  School  for  Girls  “ are  taught  Chinese 
classics,  history,  arithmetic,  geography,  natural 
history,  Japanese,  English,  music,  drawing  and 
calisthenics.”  Another  writer  on  the  govern- 
ment schools  of  Tientsin  says,  “The  curricu- 
lum in  every  school  is  about  the  same.”  11  Not 
very  different  from  this  curriculum  is  that  of 
the  government  school  for  girls  in  Hangchow, 
where  Chinese  reading  and  writing,  arithmetic, 
geography,  drawing,  singing  and  handwork 

10  Miss  M.  J.  Shire,  in  India’s  Women  and  China’s 
Daughters,  Feb.,  1908. 

11  Mrs.  G.  T.  Candlin,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far 
East,  March,  1908. 


136  Education  of  Women  in  China 

(embroider}’  or  crocheting)  are  offered  in  the 
primary  department,  with  an  addition  of  his- 
tory, algebra,  and  simple  psychology  in  the 
higher  course.  A large  gentry  school  for  girls 
in  the  same  city  publishes  a very  similar  cur- 
riculum, in  which  Chinese,  arithmetic,  geog- 
raphy, handwork,  algebra  and  a course  which 
aims  to  give  instruction  in  methods  of  teach- 
ing are  the  principal  features. 

Probably  the  most  serious  defect  in  these 
curricula  is  the  almost  total  absence  of  any 
study  of  physical  and  biological  sciences.  The 
presence  of  biological  and  zoological  charts, 
and  physical  and  chemical  apparatus  has  been 
mentioned,  but  the  curricula  show  that  the 
work  done  in  science  has  either  been  very  ele- 
mentary, or  wholly  absent.  The  same  writer 
who  spoke  of  the  presence  of  physical  and 
chemical  apparatus  in  the  schools  in  Peking 
and  Tientsin  adds  that  they  “ were  quietly  rest- 
ing on  the  shelves,  and  though  well  labelled 
seemed  never  to  have  been  used.”  12  The  lack 
of  this  kind  of  study  would  be  a serious  one 
in  any  country,  but  is  especially  so  in  China, 
whose  old  educational  system  has  trained  the 
memory  rather  than  the  reasoning  faculties, 
and  has  taught  the  student  to  ask,  “ What  did 

11  Dr.  Mary  Carleton,  in  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World,  Feb.,  1908. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  137 

our  fathers  say?”  rather  than  “What  is 
truth?  ” China  needs  to  acquire  the  scientific 
spirit,  and  the  schools  should  be  doing  all  that 
they  can  to  develop  it,  by  giving  their  students 
the  training  of  the  scientific  laboratory. 

A less  serious  criticism  has  been  made  of 
the  prominence  given  to  embroidery,  crochet- 
ing, etc.,  in  their  curricula.  Manual  training 
of  one  kind  or  another  is  being  given  increasing 
prominence  in  American  schools  and  probably 
no  thoughtful  student  of  the  educational  prob- 
lems of  China  would  fail  to  recommend  that 
it  be  given  a place  in  the  curricula  of  Chinese 
schools.  Apart  from  its  universal  value,  it 
has  a peculiar  service  to  perform  in  China, 
where  long  finger  nails  have  for  centuries  pro- 
claimed the  scholar’s  scorn  of  manual  labour. 
The  criticism  has  not  been  of  the  presence  of 
handwork,  but  of  the  disproportionate  amount 
of  time  spent  on  it  in  many  schools,  and  of  the 
kind  of  handwork  in  which  training  has  been 
given. 

The  Chinese  are  noted  for  their  skill  in  em- 
broidery, and  it  seems  scarcely  necessary  to 
give  the  teaching  of  this  art  a large  place  on 
the  school  calendar.  Time  spent  in  artificial 
flower  making  could  doubtless  be  spent  to  bet- 
ter purpose,  and  judging  from  the  reports  of 
those  who  have  seen  the  exhibits  of  crocheted 


138  Education  of  Women  in  China 

and  knitted  articles,  the  same  thing  could  be 
said  of  the  hours  spent  in  their  manufacture. 
“ Fancy  work,  principally  crocheting,  was 
taught  in  all  the  schools,”  wrote  Dr.  Carleton. 
“ Some  of  this  was  on  inspection  under  glass 
cases,  and  I must  confess  it  was  supremely 
ugly.”  “ All  manner  of  useless  crocheted  arti- 
cles of  many  hues,”  is  another  visitor’s  verdict, 
and  a third  declares  that  the  colour  combina- 
tions make  one  weary. 

Other  criticisms  of  the  curricula  might  be 
made,  but  after  all  the  final  judgment  of  a 
school  cannot  be  made  on  the  basis  of  the  out- 
line of  its  course  of  study.  It  is  comparatively 
easy  to  strike  out  some  subject  of  the  cur- 
riculum and  substitute  another  in  its  place. 
The  test  of  a school  is  not  so  much  the  excel- 
lence of  its  plan  of  work,  important  as  that  is, 
as  the  excellence  and  thoroughness  of  the  work 
itself.  An  examination  of  their  practice  will 
give  us  a better  basis  of  judgment  of  the 
strength  of  the  government  and  gentry  schools, 
than  any  study  of  their  theory. 

Dr.  Carleton’s  verdict,  given  after  her  visit 
to  the  government  girls’  schools  of  Peking, 
Tientsin  and  Hankow,  is  suggestive.  “ Splen- 
did as  are  these  schools  by  comparison  with 
an  old  style  native  school,  yet  we  could  but 
feel  how  poor  it  all  was.”  The  government 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  139 

schools  have  not  lacked  good  buildings  or 
equipment  or  anything  else  that  money  could 
supply,  and  while  the  financial  support  of  the 
gentry  schools  has  varied  according  to  the 
wealth  of  the  backers,  their  weaknesses  are 
not  attributable  to  lack  of  funds.  The  weak- 
nesses of  both  classes  of  schools  are  due  to 
the  fact  that  they  have  not  been  able  to  supply 
themselves  with  that  without  which  no  school 
can  be  successful,  whatever  else  it  may  pos- 
sess, namely,  a strong  teaching  force.  The 
desire  for  Western  education  has  swept  over 
China  so  suddenly  that  the  demand  for  men 
and  women  who  have  themselves  received  this 
education  and  are  trained  to  impart  it  has  far 
exceeded  the  supply.  This  is  true  to  an  even 
greater  extent  in  the  case  of  the  women  than 
in  that  of  the  men.  While  the  education  of 
boys  has  always  been  approved  in  China,  the 
general  popularity  of  woman’s  education  is  as 
recent  as  that  of  Western  education,  and  the 
Chinese  women  able  to  teach  in  these  modern 
schools  are  an  even  smaller  number  than  the 
men.  Clause  17  of  the  rules  of  the  govern- 
ment girls’  schools  of  Tientsin  is  very  sug- 
gestive of  this  dearth  of  women  teachers,  in 
its  simple  statement,  “If  any  educated  ladies 
care  to  offer  their  services  as  teachers  they 
will  be  accepted.” 


140  Education  of  Women  in  China 

At  first  the  employment  of  Japanese  teach- 
ers seemed  to  afford  at  least  a partial  solution 
of  the  problem,  and  Japanese  women  were 
members  of  the  faculty  of  almost  every  gov- 
ernment or  gentry  school  for  girls,  often  being 
in  charge  of  the  work.  But  this  proved  to  be 
far  from  satisf acton*.  The  schools  felt  that 
they  could  not  wait  for  the  Japanese  teachers 
to  acquire  the  language,  and  the  work  done 
either  through  an  interpreter,  or  with  a super- 
ficial knowledge  of  Chinese  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher,  or  of  Japanese  on  the  part  of  the  pu- 
pils, was  of  necessity  far  from  thorough. 
Moreover,  the  Japanese  teachers  were  often 
not  at  all  competent  to  teach  the  courses  as- 
signed them.  As  early  as  1907  a missionary 
in  North  China  wrote,  “ The  Chinese  are  com- 
ing to  feel  more  and  more  dissatisfied  with 
the  teaching  done  by  many  of  the  Japanese 
teachers/’ 13 

The  majority  of  the  Chinese  women  em- 
ployed have  proved  to  be  little  more  satisfac- 
tory. A missionary  in  Shensi  gives  an  ex- 
treme case  of  the  incompetence  of  some  of 
these  teachers.  “ A few  weeks  ago  we  were 
visited  by  a small  school  of  ten  pupils  in 
charge  of  two  ladies.  All  were  dressed  in  long 

u Miss  Mary  Andrews,  in  Life  and  Light  for  IV omen, 
Nov.,  1907. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  141 

gowns  of  black  sateen  trimmed  with  gold 
braid,  wearing  peaked  caps  and  high  boots 
like  boys.  They  filed  in  in  order  and  saluted 
at  the  word  of  command,  but  when  we  of- 
fered them  books  they  were  unable  to  read, 
even  the  ladies  in  charge  being  quite  ig- 
norant.” 14 

Another  wrote  of  a visit  to  the  practice 
school  of  a government  normal  school  for 
women,  the  music  mistress  of  which  had  mas- 
tered but  two  pages  of  music,  “ the  most  elab- 
orate tune  being  a variation  of  ‘ There  is  a 
happy  land.’  It  was  played  slowly  with  one 
finger  of  each  hand.”  15 

While  there  are  probably  few  cases  of  in- 
competence quite  so  glaring  as  these,  really 
good  teachers  of  the  new  education  are  rarely 
found  in  these  schools.  Men  trained  in  the 
Chinese  classics  are  not  hard  to  find  and  they 
have  been  employed  to  teach  the  girls  to  read 
and  write  their  own  language.  Nor  has  it 
been  difficult  to  find  women  to  give  instruction 
in  embroidery,  etc.  But  other  subjects  are  usu- 
ally poorly  taught.  A letter  from  a friend 
teaching  in  a mission  school  in  Hangchow  tells 
of  a pupil  who  has  come  to  her  from  one  of 

14  Miss  Beckingsale,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far 
East,  June,  1907. 

18  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  March,  1906. 


142  Education  of  Women  in  China 

the  gentry  schools.  “ She  is  very  bright  and 
is  doing  nicely.  She  shows,  however,  a poor 
foundation  in  mathematics,  geography,  etc. 
She  can  commit  beautifully,  but  not  reason  so 
well.  It  was  quite  a new  thing  for  her  to 
have  to  explain  her  problems.”  The  same  let- 
ter states  that  “ Most  of  the  work  (in  the 
government  and  gentry  schools  of  Hangchow) 
is  done  by  the  lecture  rather  than  the  recita- 
tion method/’  which  is  certainly  not  a wise  plan 
to  use  in  such  elementary  work. 

That  the  educators  of  China  have  realized 
this  fundamental  weakness  in  these  schools 
is  shown  both  by  the  very  large  inducements 
which  they  offer  to  trained  women,  and  by 
the  efforts  they  have  made  to  train  teachers. 
Many  normal  schools  have  been  established 
in  various  parts  of  the  Empire.  Before  the 
opening  of  the  Government  Normal  School 
of  Tientsin  it  was  announced  that  “ In  order 
that  properly  prepared  women  may  be  able  to 
relinquish  other  occupations  and  take  this 
training,  the  viceroy  offers  each  student  ten 
dollars  a month,  and  also  promises  positions 
as  teachers  when  the  course  of  study  is  satis- 
factorily completed.” 

But  this  very  effort  to  meet  the  demand  for 
teachers  has  been  another  source  of  weakness 
in  the  government  and  gentry  schools.  Eager- 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  143 

ness  to  push  the  pupils  out  into  teaching  has 
made  the  requirements  for  a teaching  position 
very  low,  and  has  led  to  rapid  and  superficial 
study.  After  a study  of  the  government  and 
gentry  schools  in  Hangchow,  Miss  Nourse  of 
the  Baptist  Mission  in  that  city  writes,  “ You 
notice  in  all  or  nearly  all  the  schools  the  desire 
for  usefulness — the  normal  training  idea. 
They  have  not  the  teachers  to  give  the  needed 
drill  either  in  studies  or  in  normal  training. 
And  so  far  they  do  not  appreciate  the  fact  that 
it  takes  say  sixteen  years,  instead  of  seven 
or  eight,  to  put  a girl  where  she  is  capable 
of  teaching.  I believe  the  girls  would  stay 
in  school  much  longer  if  anything  was  offered 
them.” 

Mrs.  Taft  of  Tientsin,  in  an  article  on 
“ Some  Public  Schools  in  Chihli,”  calls  at- 
tention to  the  same  thing.  “ These  glimpses 
show  clearly  the  widespread  eagerness  for  edu- 
cation. They  also  show  that  the  spell  of  the 
old  classics  is  broken  and  that  what  is  wanted 
is  a modern  Western  education.  But  there 
seem  to  be  at  least  two  dangers, — a strong  de- 
mand for  showy  accomplishments,  and  for 
quick  methods.  One  asks,  ‘ Will  the  Chinese 
girl  be  willing  to  scorn  delights  and  live  labori- 
ous days  for  the  sake  of  a solid,  thorough 
training?  ’ We  think  she  will.  We  must  not 


144  Education  of  Women  in  China 

forget  that  there  is  a present  emergency  and 
an  imperative  demand  for  Chinese  women 
teachers  which  palliates  this  cry  for  lightning 
methods.  So  great  is  the  need  for  women 
teachers  that  the  viceroy  is  about  to  open  a 
woman's  normal  school  in  this  city,  the  avowed 
purpose  of  this  school,  as  stated  in  the  elaborate 
‘ chang  ch’eng,’  being  ‘ quickly  made  teach- 
ers/ ” 16 

“ Some  teachers  have  been  sent  out  to 
teach,”  writes  Miss  Russell  of  Peking,  “ after 
having  had  but  six  months  in  the  study  of 
Western  sciences.”  17 

That  practically  none  of  the  government  and 
gentry  schools  are  giving  their  pupils  such 
training  as  would  enable  them  to  go  out  and 
do  strong  work  as  teachers,  is  evidenced  by  the 
replies  made  to  one  of  a set  of  questions  sent 
out  in  the  winter  of  1909  to  the  principals  of 
the  leading  mission  schools  for  girls  in  China. 
The  object  of  the  questions  was  to  determine 
whether  or  not  there  was  need  of  a woman’s 
college  or  colleges  in  China,  and  one  of  them 
read,  “ Do  you  think  the  government  and  gen- 
try schools  of  your  territory  would  be  willing, 
and  prepared  in  point  of  scholarship,  to  send 

**  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East,  Sept.,  1906. 

,T  Miss  Russell,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East, 
June,  1908. 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  145 

students  to  such  an  institution?”  The  an- 
swers received  were  substantially  unanimous 
in  their  verdict  that  the  government  and  gentry 
schools,  although  some  of  them  are  termed 
normal  schools  and  others  colleges,  are  as  yet 
far  from  doing  the  equivalent  of  high  school  or 
academy  work. 

“ It  will  be  many  years  before  they  can 
send  students  into  any  grade  above  the  high 
school,”  wrote  a teacher  from  Peking.  From 
central  China,  the  missionary  in  charge  of  a 
large  school  in  Hankow,  wrote,  “ I know  of 
no  government  school  for  girls  that  could  pos- 
sibly prepare  students  for  a college  entrance 
examination.”  “ Willing,  but  poorly  pre- 
pared,” was  the  verdict  of  the  principal  of  a 
Shanghai  school.  From  Hangchow  another 
wrote,  “ They  might  be  willing,  but  I fear 
they  would  not  be  prepared  in  point  of  scholar- 
ship,” and  added,  “ In  the  first  place  they  do 
not  comprehend  what  entrance  to  college  (of 
real  college  grade)  means,  and  then  they  have 
not  the  teachers  to  carry  it  through  if  they 
did.”  Word  came  from  Foochow,  “ Our  gen- 
try and  government  schools  are  not  yet  ready 
to  send  students,  but  they  will  be  willing  to 
do  so  when  they  are  ready.”  Still  farther 
south,  in  Canton,  another  wrote,  “ The  govern- 
ment schools  and  the  gentry  schools  of  South 


146  Education  of  Women  in  China 

China  have  no  girls  ready  in  point  of  scholar - 
ship  for  a college  training.  And  I don't  see 
how  they  can  have  any  in  three  or  four  years’ 
time  as  long  as  they  have  no  properly  trained 
teachers  to  prepare  them  for  college.” 

It  goes  without  saying  that  such  “ quickly 
made  ” teachers  have  failed  to  meet  the  need 
for  teachers  adequately.  A friend  has  re- 
cently written  me  of  the  experience  of  a gentry 
school  graduate,  which  is  probably  typical  of 
many  : 

“ A little  day  school  supported  by  the  gov- 
ernment has  just  been  opened  across  from  us. 
There  are  over  thirty  pupils.  The  teacher  is 
a graduate  of  Kong  Nii  Yah  Dong.  . . . Poor 
thing,  she  is  discouraged  already,  for  she  can’t 
do  anything  with  them.  She  says  if  she  could 
have  an  older  person  to  govern  she  could  do 
the  teaching.  It’s  just,  you  see,  a matter  of 
not  being  prepared  for  what  she  is  attempt- 
ing. She  says  she  promised  to  try  a month, 
but  says  she  can't  stand  it  any  longer  than  that. 
She  is  teaching  them  Chinese  (national  reader) 
and  arithmetic.” 

The  Chinese  themselves  realize  the  defects 
of  these  schools.  Many  of  the  most  prominent 
men  of  the  official  and  gentry  class  who,  now 
that  they  are  fully  awake  to  the  desirability 
of  education  for  women,  are  determined  that 


Gentry  and  Government  Schools  147 

their  daughters  shall  receive  the  best  educa- 
tional privileges  available,  are  sending  them  to 
the  mission  schools  in  preference  to  those  es- 
tablished by  the  government.  A few  years  ago 
a number  of  Chinese  officials  in  Hankow  ap- 
pealed to  Bishop  Roots  of  the  American  Epis- 
copal Mission  there,  to  establish  a school  for 
girls  to  which  they  could  send  their  daughters, 
as  they  were  much  dissatisfied  with  the  gov- 
ernment school  which  the  girls  had  been  at- 
tending. The  expense  of  the  school  was  to 
be  borne  by  them,  but  they  asked  that  some 
woman  of  the  mission  staff  be  assigned  to  take 
charge  of  it.18 

Yet  in  spite  of  all  their  present  weakness 
no  one  doubts  that  the  government  and  gentry 
schools  have  come  to  stay.  China  has  resolved 
that  she  will  give  education  to  her  daughters, 
and  she  is  not  to  be  balked  by  any  difficulties, 
however  discouraging  they  may  be.  These 
schools  are  stronger  now  than  they  were  four 
or  five  years  ago.  In  a recently  published 
letter  from  Miss  Russell  of  Peking  we  read : 
“ The  first  two  years  there  were  many  students 
who  were  practically  ‘tramps,’  going  about 
from  school  to  school.  The  Board  of  Educa- 
tion has  gradually  brought  this  element  un- 
der control,  and  is  making  rules  for  more 
18  Spirit  of  Missions , June,  1906. 


1 48  Education  of  Women  in  China 

stringently  governing  the  pupils.”  19  In  the 
same  letter  she  says  that  some  of  the  schools 
“ are  slowly  developing  into  schools  that  call 
for  respect  and  praise.” 

“ Primary,  superficial,  insufficiently  in- 
structed they  may  be,”  writes  another,  “ but 
here  and  there  from  the  number  of  institu- 
tions planted  is  growing  a school  destined  to 
live  and  become  a power  in  China.”  20  What- 
ever therefore  may  be  the  present  weaknesses 
of  the  government  and  gentry  schools  for  girls, 
the  energy  with  which  the  Chinese  are  seeking 
to  strengthen  them,  supported  by  the  wise  and 
sympathetic  cooperation  of  those  more  experi- 
enced in  modem  educational  methods,  gives 
hope  that  they  will  eventually  become  a real 
and  vital  factor  in  the  moulding  of  the  new 
China. 

1#  Life  and  Light  for  Women , Feb.,  1910. 

*•  Chinese  Recorder,  Feb.,  1910. 


VIII 


THE  PRESENT  POPULARITY  OF 
WOMAN’S  EDUCATION 

THE  past  decade  has  witnessed  in  China 
what  is  probably  the  greatest  educa- 
tional renaissance  the  world  has  ever 
seen.  And  no  feature  of  this  awakening  has 
been  more  interesting  or  significant  than  the 
universal  interest  felt  in  the  education  of 
women.  The  establishment  of  government  and 
gentry  schools  for  girls  is  convincing  evidence 
that  the  interest  is  a real  and  vital  thing.  For 
years  the  mission  schools  for  girls  had  been 
breaking  down  the  prejudices  against  woman’s 
education,  and  winning  their  way  into  favour 
in  the  communities  in  which  they  were  situ- 
ated, but  even  the  most  optimistic  advocates 
of  education  for  women  were  unprepared  for 
the  suddenness  with  which  their  cause  leaped 
into  universal  favour.  During  the  last  few 
years  woman’s  education  has  enjoyed  not  only 
local  approbation  but  national  popularity.  En- 
thusiasm for  the  education  of  women  is  in  the 
very  air  of  China  to-day. 

149 


150  Education  of  Women  in  China 

The  principal  of  a school  in  Nanking  writes, 
“ One  of  our  little  girls  recently  asked  to  go 
home  to  have  her  picture  taken.  She  proudly 
showed  me  the  result,  which  was  a feminine 
family  group,  with  grandmother,  mother,  three 
or  more  aunts,  and  about  six  cousins.  All  had 
assumed  an  intellectual  expression  and  were 
posing  before  open  books.  I suppose  our  little 
one  was  the  only  member  of  the  group  who 
could  read ! The  others  only  wanted  to.  But 
that  picture  stands  for  China's  women  to-day. 
Every  woman  in  the  empire,  I believe,  wants 
to  read.”  1 

The  experience  of  a lady  of  wealth  and 
position  in  Peking  is  suggestive  of  the  new 
vista  which  is  opening  before  the  Chinese 
women : 

“ I have  always  prided  myself  on  my  beau- 
tiful clothes  and  jewels,”  she  said.  “ A few 
months  ago  I saw  a very  beautiful  new  silk, 
and  as  I was  going  soon  to  an  entertainment  I 
decided  to  buy  it  and  be  the  envy  of  all  my 
friends.  When  the  time  came  I was  the  best 
dressed  lady  there,  but  every  one  was  inter- 
ested in  a quietly  dressed  little  lady  who  was 
educated  and  could  talk  about  a great  world 
we  had  never  seen  and  only  knew  of  dimly. 

* Miss  White,  in  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Oct, 
1908. 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  1 5 1 

No  one  paid  any  attention  to  my  rich  dress,  or 
was  envious  of  me,  and  as  for  myself,  I hated 
it  and  longed  to  know  what  she  knew  and 
talk  as  she  talked/’2 

Mrs.  Isaac  T.  Headland  says  that  in 
Peking  there  is  not  a prince’s  palace  or  a 
Manchu  official’s  home  where  the  girls  are  not 
all  studying;  that  now  a woman  is  ashamed  if 
she  cannot  read,  whereas  formerly  it  was  held 
to  be  a matter  of  little  moment.3 

“ It  was  only  last  week,”  Miss  Honzinger  of 
Nanchang  writes,  “ that  I was  a guest  at  a 
feast  and  numbered  among  the  guests  was  the 
wife  of  the  magistrate  of  Nanchang.  She  in- 
quired into  the  details  of  our  school  and  then 
asked  if  we  would  take  her  as  a pupil.  We 
had  to  say  no,  for  experienced  missionaries 
say  that  we  must  not  put  the  women  and  girls 
together.  Many  a married  woman  has  come 
to  seek  entrance  to  our  school ; many  put  their 
hair  in  a braid  as  is  the  custom  with  school 
girls,  because  they  wish  to  study.”  4 

In  very  practical  ways  Chinese  women  are 
manifesting  their  interest  in  woman’s  educa- 
tion. 

2 Miss  Russell,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East, 
June,  1908. 

3 Woman's  Missionary  Friend,  Aug.,  1906. 

4 Miss  Honsinger,  in  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend, 
March,  1910. 


152  Education  of  Women  in  China 

“ Some  time  ago  the  daughter  of  an  official 
in  the  province  of  Leu-chuan  died,  and  before 
her  death  she  asked  her  father  to  allow  her 
to  give  all  her  property  for  the  opening  of 
a school  for  girls.  Later  a Mrs.  Wu,  a very 
well  educated  lady  of  a fine  old  family,  came 
into  a large  property  on  the  death  of  her 
mother,  and  this  she  turned  over  entirely  for 
girls’  schools.  Then  the  wife  of  an  official 
in  Peking  died,  and  at  her  request  her  hus- 
band gave  about  $25,000  to  help  start  some 
girls’  schools  in  Peking.”  5 

The  women  of  China,  who  have  lived  in  such 
seclusion  for  centuries,  are  even  going  to 
other  countries  in  pursuit  of  education.  As 
early  as  1902  “ The  Diary  of  Events  in 
the  Far  East  ” contained  this  surprising 
note: 

" June  7. — Departure  for  Japan  of  eight 
young  Chinese  lady  students  under  the  chap- 
eronage  of  Madame  Wu,  the  wife  of  a Chinese 
M.A.,  Mr.  Wu-chih-hu,  a native  of  Weisien, 
who  also  accompanies  the  party.  These  eight 
young  ladies  are  to  undergo  a course  of  three 
or  four  years’  education  in  Japan.  This  is 
a decided  step  in  advance  for  China;  all  the 
young  ladies  belong  to  distinguished  families 

• Miss  Russell,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East, 
June,  1908. 


The  Girls  of  the  Baldwin  Memorial  School,  Nanchang 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  153 

amongst  the  gentry  and  literati  of  the  prov- 
ince.” 6 

The  young  men  of  China  are  strengthening 
the  cause  of  woman’s  education  by  their  de- 
mand for  educated  wives.  They  have  awak- 
ened to  hitherto  unrealized  possibilities  of  mu- 
tual helpfulness  and  enjoyment  in  married  life, 
and  are  seeking  wives  whose  education  and 
training  will  make  them  congenial  compan- 
ions. Miss  Bonafield  of  Foochow  tells  of  a 
young  man  of  that  city  who  had  been  without 
his  knowledge  betrothed  by  a member  of  his 
family  to  an  uneducated  girl.  A betrothal  in 
China  is  very  nearly  as  binding  as  marriage, 
but  this  y :>ung  man  declared,  “ The  girl 
must  go  o school  or  I will  not  marry 
her,”  and  it  was  not  until  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  entrance  for  her  into 
a girls’  school  of  the  city  that  he  would 
promise  to  carry  out  his  side  of  the  agree- 
ment.7 

One  educated  Chinese  man,  Mr.  Wang,  pub- 
lished a “ Girls’  Reader  ” a few  years  ago,  in 
the  preface  of  which  he  made  a very  emphatic 
statement  in  regard  to  the  value  of  woman’s 
education.  “ We  should  all  realize  that  the 
education  of  the  women  of  a country  is  really 

6 Chinese  Recorder,  Aug.,  1902. 

7 Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  April,  1907. 


154  Education  of  Women  in  China 

of  more  importance  than  the  education  of 
her  men,”  he  wrote,  “ for  as  has  been  said 
by  one  of  our  sages,  ‘ A good  girl  makes  a 
good  wife;  a good  wife  makes  a good  mother; 
a good  mother  makes  a good  son/  If  the 
mothers  have  not  been  trained  from  childhood 
where  are  we  to  have  the  strong  men  for  our 
nation.  If  then  we  say,  as  China  has  said  for 
so  long,  ‘ Let  the  men  be  educated,  let  the 
women  remain  in  ignorance/  one-half  at  least 
of  the  nation  cannot  be  as  useful  as  it  should. 
It  is  as  if  one-half  of  a man's  body  were  para- 
lyzed; these  members  not  only  being  helpless 
but  proving  a weight  and  hindrance  to  those 
not  affected.” 

As  the  cause  of  woman’s  education  thus 
leaped  into  favour,  the  mission  schools  for 
girls  became  correspondingly  popular.  It  was 
a well-deserved  popularity,  for  it  was  largely 
to  their  years  of  patient,  persevering  work,  in 
the  face  of  prejudice  and  obstacles  well-nigh 
insurmountable,  that  the  present  interest  in 
woman’s  education  owed  its  existence.  The 
interest  felt  in  woman's  education  by  the  Chi- 
nese to-day  is  a part  of  a general  and  wide- 
spread national  awakening,  but  it  is  to  a great 
extent  based  on,  and  sustained  by,  the  fact 
that  Chinese  women  have  proved  themselves 
able  to  receive  and  wisely  use  education,  and 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  155 

this  fact  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  mis- 
sion schools. 

“ In  the  schools  which  have  already  been 
opened  at  some  of  the  ports  and  by  the  mis- 
sionaries in  the  principal  towns,”  said  Dr.  Liu 
Ming-tse  of  Hangchow  in  a plea  for  schools 
for  girls,  “ we  find  our  Chinese  sisters  making 
rapid  progress  in  English,  literature  and  con- 
versation, astronomy,  geography,  medicine, 
mathematics,  music,  etc.  ...  It  is  not  that 
by  nature  they  are  dull,  for  this  has 
been  proved  not  to  be  the  case.  . . . Seeing 
where  our  weakness  lies  the  missionaries,  who 
know  us  more  thoroughly  than  other  foreign- 
ers, have  opened  girls’  schools  in  different  cities 
and  towns  all  over  the  Empire.  They  spend 
money  and  time  thereon  to  an  incalculable  ex- 
tent. The  benefits  we  receive  thereby  cannot 
be  overestimated.  Such  philanthropists  can- 
not bear  to  stand  by  and  see  their  Chinese  sis- 
ters relegated  to  positions  of  absolute  useless- 
ness.” 8 

Lady  Pao,  who  started  a school  in  Peking  a 
few  years  ago,  said,  as  she  was  taking  some 
American  friends  through  it  one  day,  “ Had  it 
not  been  for  the  example  and  efforts  of  you 
foreign  ladies  all  these  years,  this  school  would 
not  have  existed.  . . . Your  schools  and  influ- 
8 Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , Nov.,  1901. 


156  Education  of  Women  in  China 

ence  have  made  this  day  possible  and  you  have 
opened  the  way  for  us.  I thank  you  foreign 
ladies  for  what  you  have  done  in  thus  open- 
ing the  doors  of  education  for  the  women  of 
China.”  9 

The  attitude  of  the  educated  young  men  is 
indicated  by  a letter  written  by  the  president  of 
the  World's  Chinese  Student  Federation  to  one 
of  the  missionaries,  in  which  he  said : 

“ I highly  appreciate  your  deep  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  our  young  women  in  China, 
and  the  noble  work  you  and  other  missionary 
friends  are  doing  in  the  education  of  our 
young  women.  The  field  for  such  work  at 
present  is  certainly  very  great,  but  the  workers 
very  few.  As  a nation  we  owe  you  a heavy 
debt  for  your  noble  endeavour  on  behalf  of 
our  women.”  10 

No  longer  are  placards  denouncing  girls’ 
schools  and  all  concerned  in  them,  posted  in 
public  places  as  formerly.  Instead,  such  no- 
tices as  this  appear  in  the  daily  newspapers : 

“ In  this  city  (Nanchang)  outside  the  4 Vir- 
tue Conquering  Gate,’  there  has  been  estab- 
lished a school  for  girls  called  ‘ The  Baldwin 
Memorial.’  It  is  under  the  principalship  of 

• Miss  Russell,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
June,  1908. 

*•  Woman's  Missionary  Friend,  Oct,  1906. 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  157 

Miss  Kate  Ogborn.  Her  love  for  others  and 
her  patient  labour  to  provide  for  teaching  girls 
has,  since  the  beginning  of  the  school  until 
now,  been  constant  and  untiring.  Two  of  my 
daughters  have  the  privilege  of  being  in  the 
school  and  they  are  receiving  most  faithful  in- 
struction under  Miss  Ogborn.  It  is  with  pleas- 
ure that  I take  this  means  of  announcing  the 
work  and  privileges  of  the  school,  feeling  sure 
that  others  will  wish  to  send  their  daughters. 
The  methods  of  instruction  are  good;  the  char- 
acter of  the  school  is  of  the  very  best.  It  is 
very  highly  spoken  of  by  the  many  visitors  who 
go  to  see  it.”  11 

Eager  interest  in  these  schools  has  taken  the 
place  of  the  indifference  on  the  part  of  Chi- 
nese parents  which  was  almost  as  hard  to  bear 
as  active  opposition. 

“ At  a recent  commencement  exercise  in  the 
Nanking  Christian  Girls’  School  the  church 
was  crowded  to  the  doors.  The  windows  were 
open  and  masses  of  heads  looked  into  the  room 
from  outside.  Missionaries  and  Christians  did 
not  make  up  the  bulk  of  that  audience,  but 
the  rich  and  influential  men  and  women  of 
that  great  city  eagerly  responded  to  the  invi- 
tations to  be  present  on  this  occasion  when 
four  girls  were  to  be  graduated.  These  lead- 
11  Woman's  Missionary  Friend,  Feb.,  1905. 


1 58  Education  of  Women  in  China 

ers  for  the  first  time  in  their  history  were 
struggling  with  the  problem  of  education  for 
the  despised  half  of  China’s  race.  . . . With 
the  coming  of  the  new  era  in  China  the  leaders 
are  now  undergoing  a change  of  attitude  to- 
ward their  womanhood.  . . . Even  the  cus- 
tom of  the  girls’  names  is  changing.  Hereto- 
fore such  names  were  given  as  ‘ Want  a boy,’ 
4 Too  many  girls,’  4 Come  a boy,’  1 Little 
Trouble  ’ ; now  we  hear  of  4 Little  Love,’  4 Lit- 
tle Precious  ’ and  4 Little  Joy.’  ” 12 

44  The  schools  are  overwhelmed  with  ap- 
plications,” writes  a teacher  in  the  same 
city.  44  The  demand  for  the  education  of 
girls  is  far  beyond  the  capacity  not  only 
of  mission  schools  but  also  of  government 
schools,  that  new,  strange  thing  in  Chinese 
history.”  13 

The  head  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
School  for  girls  in  Hangchow  wrote  in  1909, 
44  Last  autumn  we  refused  thirty-four  appli- 
cants and  I have  not  kept  a full  account  of 
those  turned  away,  but  I have  no  doubt  we 
could  as  easily  have  two  hundred  pupils  as 
one  hundred.” 

In  Shanghai  another  teacher  writes,  44  God’s 

11  Rev.  E.  Osgood,  in  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World,  Nov.,  1907. 

u Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Nov.,  1906. 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  159 

people  have  prayed  and  hoped  that  China 
would  awake  to  the  imperative  need  of  educa- 
tion for  her  daughters,  but  now  the  first  signs 
of  awakening  have  so  overwhelmed  us  and  so 
nearly  exhausted  our  visible  resources  that 
wise  workers  are  considering  carefully  the  very 
best  use  of  these  same  resources.  Though 
dormitory,  classroom  and  dining  room  are  all 
crowded,  it  needs  a firm  heart  to  refuse  to  take 
in  the  ‘ one  more  ’ eager  applicant  and  the 
‘ one  more  ’ again;  but  now  it  has  come  to  the 
point  of  being  obliged  to  refuse  applicants 
who  come  early  in  the  spring  to  ask  for  ad- 
mission in  the  fall  term,  because  they  have 
heard  that  three  or  four  pupils  are  to  be  grad- 
uated in  July.  One  Chinese  gentleman  made 
such  an  application  a year  before  his  daughter 
was  old  enough  to  come  to  school.”  14 

The  days  when  the  schools  were  composed 
of  the  little  outcasts  of  society,  slave  girls, 
foundlings,  or  the  children  of  the  poorest  of 
the  poor,  have  long  since  passed. 

“We  have  not  sought  the  higher  classes 
and  filled  our  dormitories  with  the  daughters 
of  the  rich,”  wrote  a teacher  at  St.  Mary’s  Hall 
in  1901.  “As  the  result  of  what  we  have  done, 
the  higher  classes  are  now  knocking  for  en- 

14  Miss  Cogdal,  in  Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
Sept.,  1908. 


160  Education  of  Women  in  China 


trance.  Already  within  the  last  year  eighteen 
entirely  self-supporting  girls  have  been  re- 
ceived from  the  rich  merchant  class  of  the 
Yang-tze  valley.”  15 

From  the  Baldwin  Memorial  School  in 
Nanchang,  the  teacher  in  charge  wrote,  “ The 
school  girls  are  all  from  good  families,  some 
of  them  from  very  good  homes.  They  give 
a character  to  the  school  which  is  not  to  be 
despised.  The  time  has  come  in  China  when 
the  labours  of  the  pioneers  are  bearing  fruit, 
in  the  way  of  giving  a taste  for  education 
among  women.  Hence  it  is  that  we  are  able 
to  require  a fee  from  every  pupil  who  comes 
in.”  14 

From  the  north  Miss  Reed  writes,  “ Another 
means  of  extension  is  presented  in  the  appli- 
cation of  girls  from  non-Christian  families  in 
Peking,  girls  of  rich  families,  who  would  pay 
their  own  expenses.  . . . Before  this  such 
families  have  held  aloof  from  the  church 
schools,  but  now  the  interest  in  the  education 
of  girls  is  so  great  that  they  are  ready  to  come 
here  for  the  sake  of  study.”  17 

“ Appeals  are  being  made  to  the  mission- 

“ Miss  Dodson,  in  Spirit  of  Missions,  Dec.,  1901. 

” Miss  Ogbom,  in  Woman's  Missionary  Friend, 
March,  1904. 

Life  and  Light  for  Women,  April,  1908. 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  1 6 1 

aries  for  teachers  and  the  opening  of  schools 
for  girls,”  writes  another  worker.  “ Wherever 
they  are  opened  these  (the  upper)  classes  read- 
ily send  their  girls  and  loyally  support  the 
schools  both  financially  and  morally.”  18 

Perhaps  nothing  gives  clearer  evidence  of 
the  attitude  of  parents  in  the  matter  of  the 
education  of  their  daughters  than  the  willing- 
ness to  pay  for  that  education  which  they  now 
show. 

“Fifteen  years  ago  we  did  not  have  a self- 
supporting  pupil,”  reads  the  annual  report  of 
the  Methodist  Boarding  School,  for  1909. 
“ Now  we  have  sixty  who  are  self-support- 
ing.” 19  The  same  year’s  report  of  the  College 
Preparatory  and  Normal  School  for  girls  of 
the  same  mission,  lays  similar  emphasis  upon 
the  changed  conditions  in  this  matter. 

“We  have  had  during  the  year  thirty-six 
students,  only  one-third  of  whom  have  received 
any  financial  help  from  the  school,  and  some 
of  these  only  partial  assistance.  The  girls  pay 
their  board,  regular  tuition,  rental  for  books, 
and  for  organ  or  piano  instruction.  It  is  an 
encouragement  to  the  missionaries  who  are 
working  and  striving  toward  self-support  in 

18  Rev.  E.  Osgood,  in  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World , Nov.,  1907. 

10  The  Foochow  Woman’s  Conference  Reportj  1909. 


1 62  Education  of  Women  in  China 

our  schools,  to  know  that  it  would  have  been 
impossible  a few  years  ago  to  persuade  the 
fathers  and  brothers  of  our  girls  to  maintain 
them  in  school  as  they  are  now  doing. 

“ A few  years  ago  a lovely,  cultured  young 
woman  was  graduated  from  the  Conference 
Seminary,  which  was  the  predecessor  of  the 
present  one.  During  her  school  course  she  was 
obliged  to  depend  almost  entirely  on  her  own 
efforts  or  the  support  given  by  the  mission- 
aries. Now,  without  any  added  wealth  hav- 
ing come  to  the  family,  the  younger  sister, 
who  is  in  no  wise  superior  to  the  elder  o*  any 
better  beloved  in  the  family,  receives  willing 
support  from  her  home.  All  her  expenses  are 
paid  by  the  family,  including  six  dollars  a 
year  for  piano  lessons.”  20 

Instead  of  permitting  his  daughter  to  attend 
school  only  on  condition  that  he  shall  be  wholly 
relieved  of  her  support,  the  Chinese  father 
now  writes  such  letters  as  this,  with  check 
enclosed : 

“Dear  Mrs.  Jewell: — 

Dr.  Tsao  has  kindly  informed  me  the  amount  for  my 
daughter’s  board  while  attending  your  school.  Allow 
me  to  thank  you  profoundly  for  your  extreme  kindness 
to  my  little  girl,  who  is  anxious  to  rejoin  the  school 
w’hen  the  next  term  commences.  You  are  doing  a most 

**  The  Foochow  Woman's  Conference  Report , 1909. 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  163 

noble  work  and  I shall  be  most  happy  to  render  any 
assistance  in  my  power.  Thanking  you  again  for  what 
you  have  done  for  my  little  one,  I remain,  dear  Madame, 
Yours  most  respectfully, 

C.  W.  Tsung  ” 21 

When  Miss  June  Nicholson,  acting  head  of 
McTyeire  School,  Shanghai,  felt  the  need  of 
rather  extensive  repairs  on  the  school  build- 
ing and  grounds,  she  decided  to  ask  the  fa- 
thers of  her  school  girls,  many  of  whom 
were  men  of  wealth,  to  furnish  the  money 
needed.  A subscription  book  was  procured, 
and  sent  around  to  the  school’s  patrons  with 
most  gratifying  results.  Miss  Nicholson 
wrote : 

“ The  father  of  one  of  the  girls  gave  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  interested  him- 
self in  securing  subscriptions  from  his  friends 
which  altogether  amounted  to  four  hundred 
and  forty  dollars.  An  expectant  Tao-tai  (of- 
ficial), the  father  of  one  of  our  girls,  tele- 
graphed from  Tientsin  that  he  wished  to  sub- 
scribe two  hundred  taels  (about  two  hundred 
and  seventy  dollars).  A little  girl  about  thir- 
teen years  old,  a daughter  of  one  of  the 
wealthiest  families  in  Shanghai,  came  into  the 
study  one  morning  and  said,  ‘ I have  told  my 
father  I did  not  want  him  to  give  any  little 
21  Woman's  Missionary  Friend , Dec.,  1907. 


164  Education  of  Women  in  China 

money  (small  amount).’  Several  days  after, 
on  Monday  morning,  she  came  into  the  study, 
her  face  shining  with  joy,  and  with  something 
in  her  hand  so  heavy  she  could  hardly  carry 
it.  Upon  inquiry  as  to  what  she  was  carrying 
she  said,  4 Oh,  it  is  money,’  and  it  was  three 
hundred  silver  dollars  tied  up  in  a bandanna 
handkerchief.  Three  families  gave  a thousand 
dollars.  The  remainder  came  in  smaller  sums 
of  one  hundred,  fifty,  thirty  and  twenty  dol- 
lars. By  the  time  school  closed  we  had  enough 
in  hand  to  embolden  us  to  give  out  the  con- 
tract for  the  work.”  22 

The  fact  that  this  was  the  first  time  a sub- 
scription had  ever  been  asked,  and  that  the 
American  boycott  was  just  than  being  vio- 
lently agitated,  made  these  generous  gifts  to 
the  school  a peculiarly  strong  testimony  to 
the  value  which  the  Chinese  placed  upon  the 
work  there  being  done. 

After  inspecting  the  work  of  the  Methodist 
Girls’  School  in  Nanking,  a Chinese  visitor  of 
high  rank  gave  fifty  dollars  to  be  used  in  its 
work,  with  the  remark,  " I have  been  over 
many  government  schools  but  never  have  I seen 
such  excellent  work  as  in  your  school.”  Then 
turning  to  a friend  who  was  with  him,  he 
added,  “ After  all,  it  is  the  missionaries  who 
**  W Oman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East , March,  1906. 


The  Members  of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Association 
— The  Laura  Haygood  School,  Soochow 


Popularity  of  Woman’s  Education  165 

are  doing  the  real  educational  work  in 
China.”  23 

The  day  of  opposition  and  derision  passed 
away  long  since,  and  we  rejoiced  in  the  hard 
won  gains  of  the  period  of  gradual  growth, 
when  little  by  little  the  schools  for  girls  won 
their  way  into  favour  among  the  people  of 
the  communities  in  which  they  worked.  But 
the  sun  of  a new  day  has  risen,  the  day  when 
interest  in  schools  for  girls  is  not  local  but  uni- 
versal, the  day  when  woman’s  education  is 
looked  upon  with  approval  so  strong  as  to  merit 
the  term  enthusiasm. 

28  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Sept.,  1908. 


IX 


THE  RELATION  OF  WOMAN’S  EDU- 
CATION TO  THE  NEW  CHINA 

FULLY  to  appreciate  what  the  new  move- 
ment for  the  education  of  women  in 
China  means,  one  must  take  account  of 
the  place  which  woman  has  formerly  occupied 
in  Chinese  society  and  the  consequent  sig- 
nificance of  any  change  in  her  general  position. 
In  the  great  social  transition  through  which 
China  is  passing,  no  feature  is  more  marked 
than  the  emergence  into  prominence  of  the 
women  who  have  for  centuries  been  kept  in 
relative  seclusion,  and  to  this  new-born  prom- 
inence the  education  of  women  is  related,  both 
as  cause  and  effect. 

The  women  of  China  possess  native  strength 
of  character.  Mrs.  Isabella  Bird  Bishop  once 
said,  “Of  all  Oriental  women  I love  the  Chi- 
nese women  best;  they  have  so  much  character 
and  are  so  womanly.”  On  their  return  to 
America,  the  members  of  a deputation  sent  to 
China  by  the  American  Board  a few  years  ago, 
expressed  much  the  same  opinion.  “ The  mod- 
166 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  167 

esty,  reserve  and  strength  of  the  Chinese 
women  have  impressed  us  profoundly  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,”  they  reported.  These 
impressions  are  shared  by  those  whose  life  in 
China  has  given  them  opportunities  for  even 
greater  observation  and  knowledge  of  the 
women  of  the  country.  Dr.  MacGowan,  for 
over  fifty  years  a resident  of  South  China,  says, 
“ Chinese  women  are  acknowledged  to  be  capa- 
ble, and  possessed  of  natural  dignity  of  char- 
acter.” “ Morally,”  says  Dr.  W.  A.  P.  Mar- 
tin, one  of  North  China’s  veteran  missionaries, 
“ they  are  China’s  better  half — modest,  grace- 
ful and  attractive.”  1 Mr.  Swanson  of  Amoy 
declares : “ I am  in  the  habit  of  saying  that 
there  is  some  backbone  in  Chinese  men,  and  if 
I were  to  go  on  to  say  what  I think  of  the 
women  I should  say  that  there  were  several 
backbones  in  Chinese  women.  They  have  been 
the  great  force  which  has  preserved  the  coun- 
try. I say  this  without  fear  of  contradic- 
tion.” 2 

They  have  shown  also  a native  keenness  of 
mind,  glimmering  through  the  dulness  which 
has  been  the  result  of  disuse,  and  responding 

1 Quoted  in  Dennis,  Christian  Missions  and  Social 
Progress,  Vol.  II,  p.  189. 

2 Report  of  the  London  Missionary  Conference  of 
1888. 


1 68  Education  of  Women  in  China 

to  cultivation  with  amazing  freshness  and  vig- 
our. “ Intellectually  they  are  not  stupid  but 
ignorant,  left  to  grow  up  in  a kind  of  twilight 
without  the  benefit  of  schools/’  says  Dr.  Mar- 
tin. “ Some  of  the  brightest  minds  I ever  met 
in  China  were  those  of  girls  in  our  mission 
schools.”  3 Mrs.  S.  L.  Baldwin,  whose  years 
of  residence  in  Foochow  gave  her  opportunity 
for  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Chinese  women, 
averred,  “ There  are  no  brainier  women  any- 
where than  the  Chinese.”  “ Let  none  think 
Chinese  women  inferior  to  those  of  any  other 
land.  There  is  no  line  of  study  or  of  effort 
in  which  they  do  not  excel,  and  no  height 
of  character  to  which  they  do  not  attain,”  is 
the  emphatic  statement  of  the  women  of  the 
National  Committee  of  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  of  China,  in  a letter  to 
the  World’s  Conference  of  that  organization 
held  in  Berlin,  May,  1910. 

With  such  native  strength  of  mind  and  char- 
acter it  is  not  surprising  that  even  while  these 
powers  were  left  undeveloped,  or  at  best  only 
slightly  cultivated,  Chinese  women  have  never- 
theless exercised  a greater  influence  than  has 
been  supposed.  “Of  all  heathen  countries 
there  is  none  where  the  woman  has  the  same 

* Quoted  in  Dennis.  Christian  Missions  and  Social 
Progress,  Vol.  II,  p.  190. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  169 

power  as  she  has  in  China,”  said  Mr.  Swan- 
son of  Amoy  at  the  London  Missionary  Con- 
ference in  1888.  He  went  on  to  speak  of  the 
degradation  to  which  the  Chinese  woman  has 
been  subjected,  but  added,  “ But  whilst  you 
have  this  degradation  in  China,  woman  has  a 
remarkable  place  of  power.  . . . They  have 
been  important  factors  in  its  political  history 
and  they  are  important  factors  in  its  social 
life.  I remember  once  speaking  to  one  of 
our  Chinese  Christians  as  to  why  he  did  not 
do  a certain  thing  for  me.  ‘Well/  said  he, 
‘ my  wife  was  not  at  home  and  I never  do  any- 
thing of  that  kind  without  consulting  her.’ 
I said,  £ How  is  that?  ’ ‘ Well,’  said  he,  ‘ If 

you  had  married  one  of  that  kind  you  would 
not  have  asked  the  question.’  ” 4 

A teacher  of  a girls’  school  in  Kalgan,  wrote 
some  years  ago,  “ We  lost  a promising  pupil 
by  forgetting  that  woman  has  her  say  and 
way  sometimes  in  China.  One  of  the  men  of 
the  station  class  directed  his  daughter’s  feet 
to  be  unbound  without  asking  his  wife’s  con- 
sent. When  she  heard  the  news  she  would 
have  killed  herself  had  not  the  man  promised 
to  bring  the  girl  home.”  5 6 

4 Report  of  the  London  Missionary  Conference  of 

1888. 

6 Mission  Studies,  Nov.,  1895. 


170  Education  of  Women  in  China 

“ It  has  been  my  privilege,”  writes  Dr.  Annie 
Walters  Fearn,  “ to  know  intimately  several 
families  in  Soochow  where  the  wife  and 
mother  is  decidedly  the  head  of  the  house, 
including  the  husband.  In  one  case,  after  the 
death  of  a wealthy  man,  the  management  of 
his  estate  was  put  into  the  hands  of  his  small 
wife.  She  kept  the  books  and  received  in  per- 
son the  accounts  of  her  stewards  who  had 
charge  under  her  of  the  grain  and  produce 
brought  in  from  the  estate.  In  one  family  of 
great  wealth  and  influence  not  one  cent  is 
spent  without  the  consent  of  the  Madam.  To 
her  are  submitted  the  husband's  accounts:  no 
business  transaction  is  completed  without  her 
sanction ; hers  is  the  ruling  spirit.  In  another 
family  the  eighteen-year-old  daughter  wields 
undisputed  power.  At  the  recent  marriage  of 
the  oldest  son  the  daughter,  in  person,  deliv- 
ered the  invitations;  she  was  mistress  of  cere- 
monies; no  question  was  answered  without 
reference  to  her,  and  deference  was  paid  to 
her  slightest  wish.  These  are  only  three  cases 
out  of  hundreds  which  might  be  enumerated.”  6 

Failure  to  recognize  the  importance  of  the 
influence  exerted  by  the  Chinese  woman  has 
always  led  to  blunders.  “ In  the  early  days  of 
mission  work  in  a certain  field  attention  was 
* W Oman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East,  Sept.,  1902. 


Young  Women’s  Christian  Association  Building,  Shanghai 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  171 

given  only  to  the  instruction  of  the  men,  with 
what  for  a time  were  supposed  to  be  satisfac- 
tory results;  but  in  a few  years  it  was  found 
that  the  next  generation,  following  the  teach- 
ing of  their  heathen  mothers,  fell  back  to  the 
plane  from  which  the  fathers  had  been  ele- 
vated, showing  conclusively  the  mistake  which 
had  been  made.”  7 

The  Chinese  women  of  the  past,  hampered 
by  crippling  foot  bandages  and  the  even  more 
rigid  bonds  of  the  old  social  customs,  have 
known  no  horizon  beyond  the  four  walls  of 
their  houses.  They  have  received  so  little  edu- 
cation, if  any  at  all,  that  even  in  thought  they 
have  been  practically  limited  to  the  area  within 
those  walls.  That  they,  in  spite  of  these  lim- 
itations, have  exercised  such  undeniable  influ- 
ence, is  significant  of  the  power  which  will  be 
exercised  by  the  Chinese  women  of  the  future, 
who,  with  unbound  feet  and  minds,  are  to-day 
facing  a new  and  dazzling  era  in  the  history 
of  Chinese  womanhood.  The  shackles  of  the 
old  social  customs  are  breaking  rapidly,  and 
they  are  entering  into  a broader  life  than  their 
grandmothers,  or  even  their  mothers,  ever 
dreamed  of. 

Conspicuous  among  the  outward  symbols  of 

7 Miss  Noyes,  in  Report  of  Shanghai  Conference, 
1890. 


172  Education  of  Women  in  China 

this  new  life  are  the  unbound  feet.  When  in 
1872,  Miss  Porter  and  Miss  Brown,  who  were 
in  charge  of  the  Methodist  School  for  Girls  in 
Peking,  determined  to  make  the  unbinding  of 
the  feet  a condition  of  entrance,  it  proved  so 
serious  a stumbling  block  that  many  of  their 
fellow- workers  seriously  doubted  the  wisdom 
of  the  step.  Parents  said  that  they  could  never 
“ get  a mother-in-law  ” for  their  daughter  if 
she  did  not  have  the  “ lily  feet.”  Only  the 
church  members,  and  not  all  of  them,  or  the 
very  poor  who  were  not  able  to  support  their 
daughters,  could  be  induced  to  send  girls  to 
a school  with  such  a requirement. 

To-day  many  schools,  not  only  those  under 
the  missions,  but  the  government  and  gentry 
schools  as  well,  refuse  to  receive  any  girl  with 
bound  feet  unless  she  will  unbind  them  at  once. 
Few  if  any  objections  are  offered.  The  tide 
of  public  sentiment  has  turned  against  the  cen- 
tury-old custom  of  foot-binding,  which  for 
years  seemed  so  impregnable  that  the  continued 
protest  of  missionary  workers  appeared  to 
have  no  effect  at  all.  To-day  women  are  taking 
the  bandages  from  their  own  feet  and  letting 
their  daughters  grow  up  with  natural  feet. 
Men  are  making  speeches  and  writing  articles 
on  the  evils  of  foot-binding.  The  younger 
generation  of  men  are  demanding  that  their 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  173 

wives  shall  have  natural  feet.  I remember 
hearing  one  teacher  in  East  China  say  that  the 
father  of  one  of  her  students  had  come  to 
her  with  the  request  that  she  would  help  him 
find  a husband  for  his  daughter,  for  he  said 
that  the  girl  had  bound  feet  and  the  young 
men  did  not  want  to  marry  her  on  that  account. 
So  strong  is  the  sentiment  for  natural  feet 
that  in  some  places  it  has  even  led  to  official 
action  being  taken.  The  “ North  China  Daily 
Herald  ” of  September  25,  1909,  contains  this 
notice : 

“ The  Viceroy  in  Nanking  has  recently  drawn  up  and 
issued  copies  of  regulations  to  check  foot-binding 
among  the  people.  According  to  the  regulations  anti- 
foot-binding proclamations  and  literature  will  be  dis- 
tributed when  the  local  officials  take  a census  of  the 
people.  The  officials  will  instruct  them  in  the  dis- 
advantages of  foot-binding  and  the  necessity  of  unbind- 
ing the  feet  of  the  women  and  girls  within  the  space 
of  one  year.  Fines  will  be  inflicted  or  rewards  given 
according  to  violation  or  observance  of  the  prohibition 
against  foot-binding.  From  the  first  year  of  Hsiian 
Tung,  girls  under  ten  years  of  age  are  not  allowed  to 
have  their  feet  bound  on  pain  of  fines  of  one  to  four 
dollars  according  to  the  standing  of  the  family  that 
violates  the  rule.  An  inquiry  will  be  held  yearly,  when 
fines  for  violation,  or  rewards  of  observance  of  the 
rule,  will  be  meted  out  accordingly. 

“ Anti-foot-binding  societies  should  be  extensively 
established  throughout  the  Liang  Kiang,  and  where 
success  has  been  achieved  memorial  tablets  will  be 
awarded  to  parties  concerned,  for  their  services  in  dis- 


174  Education  of  Women  in  China 

couraging  the  practice  of  foot-binding.  The  Shanghai 
Magistrate  has  issued  proclamations  embodying  these 
regulations  for  general  information.” 

But  the  change  of  attitude  toward  bound 
feet  is  only  one  evidence  of  the  deeper  and 
broader  change  of  attitude  toward  woman  and 
her  place  in  life.  “ In  the  past  women  have 
been  a negligible  factor  in  Chinese  social  life 
apart  from  the  family.  To-day  not  a few  ap- 
pear as  equals  in  miscellaneous  gatherings  and 
find  voice  in  public  meetings.  The  democratic 
tendencies  of  the  race,  the  age-long  reverence 
for  learning,  the  brilliant  achievements  of 
exceptional  women  in  Chinese  history,  lit- 
erature and  politics,  their  native  ease  and  flu- 
ency in  public  speech,  all  tend — now  that  the 
ancient  barriers  are  broken — to  open  to  women 
every  avenue  of  influence  and  power.”  8 

One  of  the  most  striking  signs  of  the  times 
is  a daily  newspaper  for  women  edited  by 
Mrs.  Chang,  a woman  of  Peking.  This  news- 
paper has  been  a power  in  Peking  ever 
since  it  was  started  in  1906.  “ The  arti- 

cles are  written  in  colloquial  Mandarin,  easy 
for  the  women  to  understand,  and  are  very  en- 
tertaining. Sarcasm  and  ridicule  are  freely 
used,  but  so  evident  is  the  love  of  country  and 

•Letter  to  World’s  Conference  of  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
Berlin,  1910. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  175 

love  for  the  women  themselves  throbbing  un- 
derneath, no  sting  is  ever  felt.  The  news  is 
divided  into  four  sections : general  news,  news 
from  Peking,  news  from  the  provinces,  and 
news  concerning  women.  The  general  news 
contains  all  important  telegrams  from  foreign 
countries.  The  running  comments,  sometimes 
condensed  into  a single  word  by  this  keen- 
minded  woman,  jealous  for  China  with  a wom- 
an’s jealousy,  are  often  exceedingly  interest- 
ing. Besides  stories  and  fables,  a section  is 
given  to  topics  like  arithmetic,  physics,  do- 
mestic science  or  hygiene.”  9 

Significant  also  of  the  new  era  are  the 
“ newspaper  lectures,”  conducted  by  Miss  Rus- 
sell, a missionary  of  the  American  Board  in 
Peking.  On  certain  days  of  the  month,  one 
of  the  street  chapels  of  the  mission  is  open  to 
all  women  who  care  to  come  in  and  hear  the 
woman’s  newspaper  read.  Besides  the  read- 
ing of  the  paper,  lectures  are  given,  chiefly  by 
educated  Chinese  women  or  the  older  pupils 
of  the  Bridgman  School,  on  such  subjects  as 
Hygiene,  Domestic  Science,  Geography,  Gam- 
' bling,  Opium,  Love  bf  Country,  Foot-binding, 
etc.  Women  of  all  classes  have  attended. 
Miss  Russell  writes,  “ Women  come  and  go 
as  they  please,  sit  and  drink  tea  which  we  pro- 
8 Missionary  Review  of  the  World , April,  1907. 


176  Education  of  Women  in  China 

vide,  smoke  cigarettes,  which  we  certainly  do 
not  provide,  now  and  then  call  to  each  other 
some  interesting  bit  of  news.  Once  and  again, 
when  something  has  been  said  that  especially 
pleases  or  hits  some  one,  it  is  very  evident 
from  audible  remarks.”  10 

Miss  Russell  has  also  inaugurated  another 
series  of  lectures,  which  are  largely  attended 
by  women,  many  of  whom  would  probably  not 
have  been  permitted  to  appear  in  public  audi- 
ences of  this  kind  a few  years  ago.  Special 
invitations  to  these  lectures  are  sent  out  to 
women  of  influence,  and  the  subjects  are 
chosen  with  a view  to  being  popular  and  at  the 
same  time  helpful.  Among  them  are  such 
topics  as  “ Kindergarten  in  All  Lands,”  “ The 
Proper  Care  and  Food  for  the  Sick,”  etc. 
During  one  winter  such  subjects  were  chosen 
as  would  be  interesting  and  helpful  to  the 
teachers  of  the  government  and  gentry  schools 
of  the  city.  On  one  occasion,  Miss  Russell 
asked  Sir  Robert  Hart's  famous  Chinese  Band 
to  give  a concert  for  her  women.  “ There 
were  between  nine  hundred  and  a thousand 
women  present,  representing  every  class  of  so- 
ciety from  a Mongolian  princess  to  the  most 
decrepit  member  of  the  Old  Ladies’  Home.” 
Mass  meetings  of  Chinese  women  are  now 


10  Mission  Studies,  Nov.,  1908. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  177 

of  such  common  occurrence  as  almost  to  have 
lost  their  novelty.  Some  months  before  the 
opening  of  the  National  Industrial  Exposition 
recently  held  in  Nanking,  a public  meeting  for 
women  was  called  in  Kiukiang.  The  purpose 
of  this  meeting  was  to  urge  the  women  to 
send  specimens  of  their  work  to  the  coming 
exposition,  “ and  so  widen  their  interests  and 
at  the  same  time  promote  a worthy  national 
enterprise.”  A large  hall  was  handsomely 
decorated  for  the  occasion  with  banners  and 
silk  drapery,  and  at  the  appointed  time  it  was 
filled  with  representatives  of  the  gentry  class, 
and  of  the  girls’  schools  of  the  city.  It  was 
noticeable  that  the  women  chosen  as  speakers 
were  all  trained  in  mission  schools,  doubtless 
because  they  were  the  only  women  in  the  city 
who  had  received  sufficient  training  to  enable 
them  to  address  a large  audience. 

Not  long  ago  the  girls  of  the  Methodist 
School  in  Foochow  were  the  hostesses  at  a 
meeting  for  the  women  and  girls  of  that  city. 
Chinese  ladies  of  the  best  families  of  the  city, 
pupils  from  the  government  school,  as  well  as 
those  from  other  mission  schools  were  present. 
“ The  meeting  was  called  to  share  in  a popular 
protest  against  a British  loan  for  the  building 
of  a railroad  in  the  Chekiang  province.  All 
desired  the  railroad  but  wished  it  to  be  built 


1 78  Education  of  Women  in  China 

and  owned  by  the  Chinese.  They  are  unneces- 
sarily fearful  of  foreign  capital,  but  this  is 
not  strange  in  view  of  past  exploitation  of 
China  by  the  great  powers.  At  the  meeting 
a foreign  lady  was  invited  to  preside,  but  the 
discussion  was  conducted  entirely  by  native 
women.  The  speeches  and  motions  made  and 
the  resolutions  adopted  were  creditable  alike 
to  their  patriotism  and  their  ability.  The  peti- 
tion was  forwarded  to  the  Throne.”  11 

The  Association  Monthly  for  April,  1911, 
contains  a letter  from  Miss  Edith  Wells  of 
Peking,  in  which  she  tells  of  women’s  meet- 
ings held  in  that  city: 

“ Quite  recently  I met  a Chinese  woman  who  told 
me  that  a group  of  women,  most  of  them  wives  of 
prominent  officials,  was  meeting  each  month  to  discuss 
the  deliberations  of  the  Assembly  as  they  affect  the 
standing  of  women  in  China.  Whatever  else  has  been 
accomplished,  this  Assembly  has  aroused  an  interest 
among  both  men  and  women  in  public  affairs  and  has 
sought  to  prepare  the  way  for  constitutional  govern- 
ment. 

“ Just  nowT  there  is  a strong  interest  in  the  anti-opium 
movement,  expressed  in  mass  meetings  and  in  the  cir- 
culation of  various  petitions.  Such  meetings  for 
women  have  brought  together  larger  numbers  of  women 
than  have  ever  assembled  before,  except  perhaps  for 
religious  services.  Two  such  meetings  I have  attended. 
The  first  wTas  composed  of  six  hundred.  There  were 
women  representing  twenty-two  schools  in  Peking.  The 

11  Woman’s  Missionary  Friend,  Oct.,  1908. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  179 

second,  called  by  the  principal  of  a private  school  for 
girls  (herself  not  a Christian),  included  over  three  hun- 
dred women,  among  them  several  princesses  and  wives 
of  Government  officials.  At  these  meetings,  a letter  was 
addressed  to  the  secretary  of  the  Anti-Opium  Society 
of  England  and  signed  by  large  numbers  of  Chinese 
women.  This  is  significant  in  itself,  for  it  has  not  been 
the  custom  of  Chinese  women  to  sign  public  documents 
of  any  kind.  The  women  of  China  are  not  being  left 
behind  in  the  great  changes  now  going  on.” 

Societies  of  Chinese  women  have  been  or- 
ganized with  various  objects.  Lilavati  Singh, 
that  splendid  example  of  the  possibilities  of  the 
women  of  India,  on  her  return  to  Lucknow 
from  a visit  to  China  and  Japan  in  1907,  gave 
an  address  to  the  students  of  Isabella  Thoburn 
College  on  the  present  conditions  of  the  women 
of  those  countries.  “ The  mother-in-law  in 
China  is  evidently  as  much  of  a tyrant  as  the 
mother-in-law  in  India,”  she  said.  “ So  the 
women  of  China  in  different  places  have 
formed  a society  for  getting  rid  of  the  undue 
authority  usurped  by  the  mother-in-law.  One 
bright,  attractive  Chinese  lady  told  me  this, 
and  shyly  added,  4 In  most  cases  our  husbands 
have  become  honorary  members  of  this  so- 
ciety.’ ” 

Another  society  with  an  aim  more  compre- 
hensive if  no  more  difficult  of  achievement, 
was  the  “ Chinese  Woman’s  Enlightenment 


180  Education  of  Women  in  China 

Society.”  The  large  and  very  successful 
“ Anti-Foot-binding  Society,”  though  begun 
by  foreign  women,  is  now  almost  entirely  car- 
ried on  by  Chinese  women.  The  chairman  of 
the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  of  Shanghai  is  a Chinese 
woman,  as  are  the  great  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Board.  A society  of  women  was 
organized  in  that  city  a few  years  ago  for 
“ reforming  the  affairs  of  the  home.”  These 
women  have  been  courageously  combatting 
such  evils  as  “ opium,  foot-binding,  foolish  and 
idolatrous  ceremonies,  certain  customs  con- 
nected with  betrothals,  weddings  and  funerals 
that  they  begin  to  question  as  unwise,  extrava- 
gant or  unnecessary,  and  numerous  other  mat- 
ters.” At  a recent  public  meeting  at  which  both 
ladies  and  gentlemen  were  present  a Chinese 
lady  was  in  the  chair.  In  speaking  of  this  a 
conservative  Chinese  Christian  gentleman  re- 
marked, “ A number  of  our  influential  Chinese 
men  have  wives  who  are  as  well  informed 
upon  public  matters  as  themselves.  They  live 
in  full  sympathy  and  intimate  companionship 
with  their  husbands,  so  it  is  not  strange  that 
such  women  should  come  into  prominence  in 
public  meetings.”  12 

11  Editorial  Note,  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East, 
Dec.,  1907. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  1 8 1 

An  interesting  instance  of  the  changed  atti- 
tude toward  women  on  the  part  of  Chinese 
men  occurred  at  the  Jubilee  celebration  of  the 
establishment  of  the  Methodist  School  for 
Girls  in  Foochow.  A series  of  anniversary 
gatherings  was  held  at  this  time,  the  first  of 
them  for  the  officials,  gentry  and  business  men 
who  were  interested  in  the  school.  This  oc- 
curred while  the  Fuhkien  Provincial  Assem- 
bly was  in  session,  and  the  General  Executive 
Committee  and  the  officers  of  the  Assembly 
were  invited  to  be  present.  That  every  one 
of  them  was  present  was  itself  indicative  of  a 
new  interest  in  the  progress  of  woman.  But 
the  most  significant  event  of  the  afternoon  was 
one  of  the  speeches,  given  by  a young  man  of 
wealth  and  influence,  who  said,  among  other 
things : 

“ Some  time  ago,  in  company  with  others 
I was  interested  in  establishing  a school  for 
girls  in  a neighbouring  city.  Then  the  ques- 
tion came  up  where  we  should  obtain  teachers. 
One  man  said,  ‘ We  must  send  to  the  Methodist 
Girls’  School  in  Foochow.’  That  was  the  first 
time  I had  ever  heard  of  this  school.  You 
ladies  in  charge  sent  us  Miss  Ung  Peh  Ha  and 
Miss  Ling  Nguk  Chai,  and  they  proved  to  be 
such  efficient  teachers  that  I hope  every  mem- 
ber of  the  Assembly  present  here  to-day  will 


1 82  Education  of  Women  in  China 

go  home  and  establish  a girls’  school  and  send 
to  this  school  for  teachers.” 

“ Now  when  the  young  man  gave  the  names 
of  the  teachers  we  had  sent  to  them  my  heart 
seemed  to  stand  still,”  wrote  the  principal  of 
the  school  afterward,  44  for  he  had  committed 
a terrible  breach  of  Chinese  etiquette.  His 
address  was  given  in  the  Mandarin  dialect  and 
was  interpreted  into  the  Foochow  dialect  by 
Mr.  Wong  Nai  Siong,  also  a member  of  the 
Assembly,  the  very  man  who,  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  ago,  had  taught  the  new  missionaries  that 
we  should  never  speak  the  name  of  a Chinese 
woman  or  girl  in  public  but  should  rather 
refer  to  her  as  4 a certain  sister  ’ or  * such  a 
man's  daughter,  wife  or  sister/  I thought  to 
myself,  ‘ Mr.  Wong  in  interpreting  will  not 
speak  the  names  of  the  girls/  but  he  did,  not 
only  once  but  tuice  and  with  emphasis. — and 
then  it  dawned  upon  me  that  in  the  new  China, 
girls  and  women  were  to  have  names  and  in- 
dividualities.” ia 

The  principal  of  McTyeire  School  can 
scarcely  have  been  less  surprised  when  an  in- 
telligent and  wealthy  gentleman  of  Shanghai, 
of  influential  family,  inquired,  as  he  was  about 
to  enroll  his  two  daughters  in  the  school,  44  Do 

**  Miss  Bonafield,  in  Woman's  Missionary  Fritnd, 
March,  1910. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  183 

you  teach  your  pupils  to  ride  the  bicycle  ? ” 
On  being  answered  in  the  negative,  he  ex- 
claimed disappointedly,  “ Oh,  I think  you  ought 
to  teach  that.” 

Truly  a new  day  has  dawned  for  the  hith- 
erto secluded  and  uneducated  women  of  China, 
and  no  friend  of  China  can  fail  to  rejoice  at 
the  change.  But  at  the  same  time  none  can 
doubt  that  the  time  of  transition  from  the  old 
to  the  as  yet  dimly  defined  new  is  a time  of 
danger.  “ The  times  are  fraught  with  peril 
because  of  the  rapid  changes  in  what  was  for 
ages  a stagnant  nation — old  traditions  are  be- 
ing overturned,  new  standards  are  not  yet  set 
up.  What  wonder  if  there  is  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  the  conservative  and  unrest  among  the 
newly  emancipated  ? ” 14 

“ If  ever  China  needed  a sympathetic  friend 
it  is  now,  in  the  efforts  she  is  making  to  get 
in  line  with  the  rest  of  the  world,”  Miss  Rus- 
sell writes  from  Peking.  “ This  is  especially 
true  in  the  social  conditions.  The  past  six 
years  have  seen  great  changes  in  Peking.  The 
present  pace  of  those  who  are  from  the  ‘ Smart 
Set  ’ or  the  ‘ Four  Hundred 5 of  Peking  is 
quite  in  line  with  the  same  classes  in  New 
York  or  London.  Foreign  carriages,  wine 

14  Letter  to  World’s  Conference  of  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
Berlin,  1910. 


184  Education  of  Women  in  China 

suppers,  cigarettes,  poker,  anything  that  sa- 
vours of  the  West — these  are  the  latest  fash- 
ion. Foreign  jewelry  is  quite  the  rage. 

“ Recently  one  of  the  ladies  belonging  to 
one  of  the  first  families  in  the  city  said,  4 Many 
of  our  set  want  to  adopt  foreign  dress.’  She 
added,  4 It  costs  ten  times  as  much  to  live  now 
as  it  did  ten  years  ago.  Every  one  wants  for- 
eign furniture,  clothing,  food.  You  are  not 
in  it  if  you  do  not  have  your  own  carriage, 
telephone,  and  entertain  parties  at  the  foreign 
hotel.’  ” 15 

The  National  Committee  of  the  Young 
Women’s  Christian  Association  of  China, 
which  is  eagerly  striving  to  be  of  sendee  at  this 
critical  time,  wrote  in  the  letter  already  re- 
ferred to : 44  Already  we  hear  in  large  cities  of 
women  in  families  of  wealth  who  are  bur- 
dened with  social  engagements — feasting,  gam- 
bling and  theatre  going.  The  pleasure-seeking 
young  man  of  China  is  a pitiable  object.  We 
tremble  to  think  of  the  pleasure-seeking  young 
woman  with  education  enough  to  make  her  a 
menace  to  society.” 

One  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Young  Wom- 
en’s Christian  Association  tells  of  being  pres- 
ent at  a reception  at  which  a Chinese  lady, 
eager  to  entertain  her  friends  in  foreign 
11  Life  and  Light  for  Women,  Feb.,  191a 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  185 

fashion,  decided  that  she  would  sing  a foreign 
song  to  them.  She  accordingly  arose  and  re- 
galed her  audience  with  the  strains  of  “ Waltz 
Me  Around  Again,  Willie.”  The  mental 
vision  of  a dignified  Chinese  lady,  solemnly 
singing  that  ridiculous  ragtime  to  a roomful 
of  equally  dignified  and  ceremonious  guests, 
would  be  irresistibly  funny  if  it  were  not  so 
pathetic. 

Not  only  in  the  cities  of  the  north  does  one 
see  this  eagerness  to  imitate  foreign  customs. 
In  the  first  home  of  wealth  in  which  I ever 
visited  in  China,  the  home  of  an  official  of 
Foochow,  there  were  three  young  daughters, 
who  proudly  exhibited  to  us  what  were  proba- 
bly their  first  calling  cards.  They  were  not  the 
long  strips  of  red  paper  with  the  name  painted 
on  in  black  Chinese  characters,  which  have  for 
centuries  been  the  proper  thing  in  the  Heav- 
enly Empire,  but  small  white  pasteboard  cards 
like  our  own.  There  were  no  Chinese  names 
or  Chinese  characters  on  these  cards,  but  the 
most  fanciful  of  English  names,  neatly  printed 
in  the  letters  of  the  English  alphabet.  A far 
more  important  change  of  styles  among  Chi- 
nese women  was  shown  by  their  unbound  feet. 

In  Shanghai  the  sight  of  wealthy  Chinese 
driving  through  the  streets  in  handsome  car- 
riages, with  gorgeously  apparelled  coachman 


1 86  Education  of  Women  in  China 

and  footman  in  attendance,  is  so  frequent  as  to 
excite  little  attention  except  from  newcomers. 
Whizzing  forty-horse-power  automobiles  are 
common  enough  to  make  ’ricksha  riding  on  the 
Shanghai  Bund  a nerve-racking  process. 
Handsome  houses,  of  foreign  architecture,  are 
quite  likely  to  belong  to  Chinese.  Even  in 
houses  built  in  purely  Chinese  style,  I have 
sat  on  an  American  sofa,  partaking  of  refresh- 
ments in  the  shape  of  tea  and  Huntley  & 
Palmer’s  wafers,  listening  to  a stirring  Sousa 
march  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  a Victor 
phonograph.  In  one  official  home  in  Hang- 
chow the  official  showed  us  with  great  pride 
his  private  sitting  room,  furnished  entirely 
with  foreign  furniture.  His  wife  displayed 
equal  pride  in  exhibiting  the  handsome  brass 
bed  which  filled  her  bedroom  to  repletion. 

The  spirit  of  the  times  manifests  itself  in 
somewhat  different  form  in  the  schools.  In 
the  far  west,  in  Chengtu,  the  capital  of  Sze- 
chuan province,  the  students  have  adopted  a 
semi- foreign  uniform,  with  a dragon  embroid- 
ered on  the  left  sleeve,  and  the  character  de- 
noting the  class  of  school  the  wearer  attends, 
embroidered  on  the  upturned  collar.  A visitor 
to  the  city  writes  of  his  amazement  at  seeing 
a number  of  students  with  the  character  for 
“ woman  ” on  their  collars.  “ When  I went 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  187 

to  some  of  the  missionaries  there,  and  asked 
what  it  meant,”  he  wrote,  “ I was  told  that  the 
young  women  of  the  well-to-do  families  were 
now  attending  girls’  schools,  and  taking  the 
same  studies  as  their  brothers,  but  that  with 
their  girls’  attire  they  could  not  go  out  on 
the  street  to  attend  the  classes,  and  so  to  avoid 
this  they  now  dress  in  almost  the  same  clothes 
as  the  men.  Miss  Dodson  of  the  Friends’ 
Mission  rather  amused  us  by  telling  of  her 
efforts  to  get  one  of  these  same  Amazons  to 
go  round  to  the  boys’  entrance  of  the  school 
— she  herself  deceived  by  the  appearance  of  her 
visitor.  The  fashionable  small  feet  had  of 
course  disappeared  and  the  fair  student  wore 
top  boots,  and,  I suppose,  had  drill  exercises. 
What  a wonderful  change  for  China ! ” 16 
One  finds  occasional  references  to  similar 
costumes  worn  by  school  girls  in  other  parts  of 
the  country,  but  the  custom  is  probably  com- 
paratively rare.  It  must  be  remembered  also 
that  the  dress  of  a Chinese  man,  with  its  long 
flowing  robes,  is  as  modest  as  that  of  the 
woman.  Such  things  as  this  are,  however,  suf- 
ficient evidence  of  the  new  spirit  of  freedom 
among  Chinese  girls  which  is  manifesting  itself 
in  many  ways.  The  days  of  seclusion  are  over. 

18  Rev.  John  Parker,  quoted  in  Missionary  Review  of 
the  World,  Nov.,  1907. 


1 88  Education  of  Women  in  China 


When  fifty  boys’  schools  of  Hankow  took  part 
in  an  athletic  meet  about  two  years  ago,  six 
girls’  schools  were  allowed  to  attend.  That 
appearance  of  Chinese  girls  in  public  was  even 
more  of  an  innovation  than  the  acrobatic  per- 
formances of  the  young  scholars  of  China,  so 
contrary  to  the  dignified  deportment  which 
Confucius  deemed  suitable  for  learned  men. 
In  the  same  city  a few  years  ago  a concert 
was  given  by  the  Hankow  College  alumni  for 
the  benefit  of  the  famine  relief  fund.  The 
girls  of  one  of  the  mission  schools  were  invited 
to  assist  by  singing,  and  accepted  the  invita- 
tion. This  was  probably  one  of  the  first  oc- 
casions at  which  Chinese  girls  ever  appeared 
before  a public  audience,  except  at  school  grad- 
uation exercises.17 

The  border  line  between  liberty  and  license 
is  never  hard  to  cross.  It  is  perhaps  not  to 
be  wondered  at,  that  the  sudden  access  of 
hitherto  unknown  freedom  has  sometimes  gone 
to  the  heads  of  the  girls,  and  led  them  to 
regrettably  high-handed  methods  of  express- 
ing themselves.  For  example,  the  “ North 
China  Daily  Herald”  for  June  12,  1909, 
reports : 

“ Not  to  be  behind  other  educational  centres, 
two  of  our  larger  schools  (in  Paotingfu)  have 
,T  Missionary  Rci’iew  of  the  World,  Aug.,  1908. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  189 

been  having  student  rebellions.  The  Girls’ 
High  School  was  invited  to  attend  the  field 
day  exercises  of  the  graduating  class  of  the 
large  military  school.  The  young  ladies  were 
willing  to  put  aside  their  studies  for  the  day 
and  attend.  The  proctor  was  willing  to 
chaperon  them.  But  the  lady  director  with- 
held her  consent.  Nevertheless  part  of  the 
school,  led  by  the  proctor,  did  attend.  This 
insubordination  rapidly  led  to  the  resignation 
of  the  proctor  and  to  a school  strike  by  the 
students  who  had  attended.  The  strike  is  prob- 
ably dying  out,  but  it  was  in  force  for  about 
half  a month.” 

The  official  who  recently  examined  the  pu- 
pils of  one  of  the  girls’  schools  of  Hangchow, 
did  not  give  them  as  high  grades  as  they  de- 
sired. When  at  the  graduation  exercises  the 
time  came  for  them  to  go  to  the  platform  to 
receive  their  diplomas  from  his  hand,  they  re- 
fused to  leave  their  seats,  thus  openly  insulting 
the  official. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  problems  of  the 
changing  China  is  the  readjustment  of  the 
relation  between  men  and  women.  In  the  old 
China  there  was  no  such  thing  as  social  inter- 
course between  unmarried  men  and  women. 
The  century  old  custom  has  been,  and  still  is, 
to  arrange  marriages  by  go-betweens.  Court- 


190  Education  of  Women  in  China 

ship  was  an  unknown  term,  and  the  young  peo- 
ple might  never  see  each  other  until  they  were 
man  and  wife.  Childhood  betrothals  arranged 
by  the  parents  were  not  infrequent.  This  cus- 
tom still  prevails,  but  educated  young  people 
are  beginning  to  protest  against  it,  and  surely 
none  can  blame  them  for  desiring  opportunities 
for  mutual  acquaintance  before  marriage. 
The  solution  of  this  problem  is  not  the  easy 
thing  it  may  appear  to  those  who  have  always 
lived  in  a Christian  civilization,  and  have 
known  nothing  of  the  seclusion  in  which  the 
Oriental  woman  has  been  kept.  The  young 
people  of  China  know  something  of  the  rela- 
tions which  exist  between  men  and  women  of 
foreign  countries,  and  in  the  new  spirit  of 
liberty  which  has  swept  over  them  they  are 
eager  to  imitate  them.  And  in  this  tendency 
lie  grave  perils,  for  it  is  an  over-imitation  of 
the  imperfectly  known  external  features  of 
this  relationship,  without  an  understanding  of 
the  fundamental  principles  underlying  it.  “ In 
these  new  times  we  hear  of  social  indiscretions 
that  are  alarming.  For  example,  a group  of 
young  men  from  a government  school  have  a 
feast  and  invite  several  girls  from  a neighbour- 
ing school.  Without  chaperoning,  feasting  and 
jollity  continue  far  into  the  night.  The  young 
people  think  they  are  following  foreign  style 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  191 

and  do  not  realize  that  Western  freedom  with- 
out Western  safeguards  is  the  height  of  im- 
propriety.” 18 

The  desire  of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian 
Association  of  China  to  erect  “ student  hos- 
tels ” or  dormitories,  to  provide  homes  for 
girls  who  are  attending  government  and  gentry 
schools  in  the  large  cities,  is  in  recognition  of 
the  perils  surrounding  many  of  these  students. 
In  an  article  on  the  need  of  such  homes,  the 
writer  says,  “ In  Peking  we  know  of  scores 
of  young  women  in  attendance  on  government 
schools  of  the  capital,  living  not  in  the  schools, 
nor  yet  in  the  home  of  friends,  but  in  the 
provincial  4 official  residence,’  because  there 
they  hear  their  own  dialect  and  can  claim  a 
hostel.  The  danger  of  such  a life  is  obvious. 

. . . Chinese  parents  with  great  reluctance 
allow  their  daughters  to  reside  outside  the 
home  walls  and  they  will  not  be  indifferent  to 
a home  that  promises  them  protection,”  19 

It  is  inevitable  that  the  old  social  system 
of  China  should,  to  a large  extent,  pass  away, 
and  none  would  wish  it  otherwise,  but  it  is 
imperative  that  during  the  transition  period 
China  should  have  the  wise  and  sympathetic 

18  Letter  to  World’s  Conference  of  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
Berlin,  1910. 

19  Chinese  Recorder,  Feb.,  1910. 


192  Education  of  Women  in  China 

guidance  of  those  who  will  help  her  to  found 
her  new  social  principles  upon  the  pillars  of 
righteousness  and  truth.  A very  important 
part  of  this  guidance  must  be  given  by  those 
to  whom  the  education  of  the  girls  of  China  is 
entrusted.  “One  of  the  most  important  fea- 
tures of  educational  work  for  girls  at  the  pres- 
ent crisis  is  the  privilege  it  gives  us  of  helping 
them  to  adjust  themselves  to  their  new  condi- 
tion. Their  present  condition  is  very  uncer- 
tain and  we  should  do  all  we  can  to  help  them 
find  themselves,”  20  said  the  principal  of  a girls’ 
school  in  West  China,  at  a conference  of  mis- 
sionaries in  1908.  Another,  the  head  of  a 
school  in  East  China,  gave  as  one  of  her  strong- 
est reasons  for  desiring  a college  for  Chinese 
women,  that  it  might  “ train  Christian  young 
women  who  will  be  prepared  to  be  leaders 
among  their  sisters  in  the  new  China,  and  who 
can  stand  as  bulwarks  against  the  many  threat- 
ened evils  of  the  new  social  life  which  is  so 
rapidly  developing.” 

“ The  emancipation  of  woman  is  one  of  the 
watchwords  of  the  advanced  movement  in 
China,”  the  American  Board  Deputation  re- 
ported on  their  return.  “ But  here  also  the 
sudden  access  of  freedom  and  vagueness  of 
the  ideals  which  the  leaders  sometimes  set  be- 
*#  Miss  Page,  in  West  China  Conference  Report,  1908. 


Woman’s  Education  and  New  China  193 

fore  themselves  constitute  an  element  of  real 
danger.  These  facts  create  the  conditions  and 
emphasize  the  need  of  an  intelligent  and  sym- 
pathetic guidance  of  the  woman’s  movement 
in  China,  for  a brief  time  at  least,  on  the 
part  of  tactful  and  devoted  Christian  women 
from  the  West.”  21  It  would  be  difficult  to 
state  whether  the  need  or  the  opportunity  of 
the  present  conditions  makes  the  greater  ap- 
peal. 

21  Life  and  Light  for  Women , March,  1908. 


X 


THE  PRESENT  OPPORTUNITY  AND 
ITS  CHALLENGE 

TRUE  success  always  results  in  enlarged 
opportunity  and  responsibility.  The 
new  life  and  light  which  have  come  to 
the  women  of  China  are  due  largely  to  the 
work  of  the  Christian  schools,  and  the  guid- 
ance so  imperatively  needed  during  these  days 
of  the  moulding  of  the  new  China  must  still 
be  largely  given  by  Christian  educators.  Won- 
derful as  is  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the 
government  and  gentry  school  education  has 
been  established,  and  encouraging  as  is  the 
vigour  with  which  it  is  being  carried  on,  there 
are  as  yet  comparatively  few  Chinese  men  or 
women  who  are  capable  of  conducting  schools 
in  Western  education,  without  assistance. 
That  the  Chinese  government  has  undertaken 
educational  work  for  women  does  not  mean 
that  the  work  of  the  Christian  schools  is 
ended.  On  the  contrary,  there  has  never  been 
a time  when  Christian  education  was  more 
needed  in  China.  After  years  of  patient  over- 

194 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  195 

coming  of  prejudice  and  obstacles,  the  Chris- 
tian schools  for  women  are  to-day  facing  op- 
portunities of  a magnitude  of  which  even  a 
few  years  ago  the  most  optimistic  would  hardly 
have  dared  to  dream. 

One  of  the  greatest  opportunities  lies  in  the 
fact  that  to  them  is  entrusted  the  task  of  train- 
ing many  of  those  who  are  to  be  the  wives  and 
mothers  of  the  future.  One  of  the  greatest 
weaknesses  of  ancient  China  has  been  its  lack 
of  home  life.  The  patriarchal  form  of  fam- 
ily, the  loveless  marriages,  the  practise  of  con- 
cubinage, the  relatively  low  position  of  woman, 
her  lack  of  education,  have  all  tended  to  make 
homes,  in  any  true  sense  of  the  word,  impos- 
sible. One  of  China’s  leading  men,  who  was 
educated  in  America,  was  asked  not  long  ago, 
what  he  considered  the  best  age  for  a Chinese 
boy  to  go  to  America  to  study.  He  unhesi- 
tatingly replied,  “ While  he  is  still  a young 
boy;  in  order  that  he  may  avoid  the  blighting 
atmosphere  of  a Chinese  home,  and  may  re- 
ceive what  to  me  was  the  greatest  blessing  of 
my  American  education,  the  influences  of 
Christian  home  life.” 

For  genuine  home  life  mutual  sympathy  be- 
tween husband  and  wife  is  necessary.  The 
mission  schools  for  girls  have  already  done 
much  to  make  this  possible  by  giving  their  pu- 


196  Education  of  Women  in  China 

pils  such  training  as  has  made  them  real  com- 
panions of  their  husbands  and  has  enabled 
them  to  take  an  intelligent  and  helpful  interest 
in  their  husbands’  work.  Not  long  ago  a 
student  in  Peking  University  went  to  one  of 
the  missionaries  and  asked  her  to  suggest  an 
English  name  for  his  wife,  a young  woman 
from  the  girls’  school  of  the  Methodist  Mis- 
sion. He  was  given  a list  of  English  names 
for  girls  with  their  meanings,  and  after  study- 
ing over  it  for  some  time  announced,  “ I have 
chosen  the  name  Dorothy.  I do  not  like  the 
sound  of  it  as  well  as  that  of  some  of  the 
others,  but  I have  chosen  it  because  of  its 
meaning,  for  my  wife  is  indeed  a 4 gift  of 
God  ’ to  me.” 

It  is  an  old  unwritten  rule  in  China  that  it 
is  a breach  of  etiquette  even  to  ask  a man 
concerning  his  wife’s  health.  It  is  a rare  trib- 
ute to  a wife,  therefore,  to  have  her  husband 
publicly  speak  of  her  assistance  to  him  in  his 
work,  in  terms  of  highest  praise,  as  did  a Chi- 
nese pastor  in  Shaowu  not  long  ago.1 

The  Christmas  present  recently  sent  by  a 
wealthy  student  in  a mission  college  to  his 
young  wife  in  their  distant  home  is  significant 
of  the  influence  which  Christian  ideals  are  ex- 

1 Miss  Florence  Fensham,  in  Mission  Studies,  Feb., 
1908. 


A Chinese  Official  and  His  Family 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  197 

erting  upon  the  marriage  relationship.  Neither 
the  young  man  nor  his  wife  are  Christians, 
but  both  read  the  Bible  and  are  open  minded 
to  new  truth.  The  gift  was  a gold  bracelet,  on 
the  inner  side  of  which  was  engraved,  Ephe- 
sians 5:25  (“  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even 
as  Christ  also  loved  the  church  and  gave  him- 
self up  for  it”).  “ My  wife  will  be  pleased 

with  that  sentiment,”  the  young  husband  said, 
and  well  she  might  be. 

However  much  the  Chinese  wife  and  daugh- 
ter may  have  lacked  of  respect  and  honour,  the 
mother,  in  that  land  where  filial  piety  has  ever 
been  regarded  as  one  of  the  supreme  virtues, 
has  been  reverenced.  “ A woman  when  she 
comes  to  be  a mother  and  a grandmother  is 
a power  in  the  family  and  a power  in  the  vil- 
lage or  the  town  that  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  overestimate,”  2 said  Mr.  Swanson  of  Amoy 
at  the  London  Missionary  Conference  of  1888. 
Dr.  Kupfer  of  Kiukiang  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  “ although  the  women  of  China  oc- 
cupy a very  inferior  position  in  social  life,  the 
bringing  up  of  the  children  is  indisputably  en- 
trusted to  their  care.”  It  is  a strong  tribute 
to  the  inherent  strength  of  Chinese  character, 
that  the  race  possesses  so  many  good  qualities, 
in  spite  of  the  ignorance  of  the  mothers. 

2 Report  of  the  London  Missionary  Conference,  1888. 


198  Education  of  Women  in  China 

“ Why  do  the  Chinese  in  mature  life  give 
way  so  easily  to  passion  and  self-will?”  wrote 
a contributor  to  the  “ Chinese  Recorder  ” some 
twenty  years  ago.  “ Why  do  they  show  little 
power  of  self-government  in  places  of  tempta- 
tion and  trial?  Is  it  not  largely  because  their 
childhood  has  been  spent  in  the  hands  of  moth- 
ers who  were  but  grown-up,  passionate,  self- 
willed  children?”3 

Mrs.  Wong,  a Chinese  woman,  whose  edu- 
cation has  given  her  an  insight  into  the  high 
duties  of  motherhood,  has  recently  written: 
“ The  Chinese  mother  is  ignorant,  without 
knowledge  of  the  methods  of  unfolding  her 
children’s  nature.  She  is  ignorant  of  the  na- 
ture of  the  emotions  of  the  child,  or  their  order 
of  evolution,  or  their  functions,  or  where  use 
ends  and  abuse  begins.  Many  an  action  which 
is  quite  normal  and  beneficial  she  continually 
thwarts,  thus  diminishing  the  child’s  happiness 
and  profit,  injuring  its  temper  and  lessening  her 
own  power  and  influence,  and  too  often  de- 
stroying a confidence  which  otherwise  would 
have  been  a protection  and  guidance  for  the 
young  mind.  Lacking  knowledge  of  mental 
phenomena  with  their  causes  and  consequences, 
her  interference  often  does  more  harm  than 
absolute  passivity  would  have  done.” 

• Chinese  Recorder,  June,  1890. 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  199 

“ They  (the  Chinese  women)  do  not  rant  nor 
clamour  for  power  to  vote,”  Mrs.  Wong  says 
in  another  part  of  her  article,  “ but  a longing, 
hungering  for  knowledge,  fills  their  hearts. 
They  now  realize  what  grandeur  of  the  world 
is  hidden  from  them,  that  the  intellectual  dark- 
ness of  their  own  minds  hinders  them  from 
filling  satisfactorily  the  highest  position  given 
to  mortals  in  this  world,  that  of  a parent — 
the  mother.  She  pleads  to-day  for  education 
that  will  qualify  her  to  be  truly  a helpmeet  for 
her  educated  husband  and  an  intelligent  mother 
for  her  child.”  4 

That  the  Chinese  girls  who  graduate  from 
the  mission  schools  make  good  wives  and 
mothers  has  been  proved  in  a multitude  of 
cases.  The  teachers  of  these  schools  have 
never  failed  to  realize  their  responsibility  to 
train  their  pupils  to  be  good  home-makers. 
Nor,  in  these  days  when  life  is  so  rapidly 
broadening  for  Chinese  women,  are  the  edu- 
cators losing  sight  of  the  fact  that  for  the 
great  majority  of  their  girls  the  home  will 
ever  be  the  sphere  of  greatest  usefulness. 
“ While  we  should  be  satisfied  with  nothing 
but  the  best  and  highest  training  possible  for 
our  girls,”  says  Miss  Page  of  Suifu,  “yet 
we  must  constantly  bear  in  mind  that  we  are 
4 Chinese  Students'  Monthly , Dec.,  1909. 


200  Education  of  Women  in  China 

training  the  future  mothers  of  China,  and  that 
a large  percentage  of  our  pupils  will  sometime 
have  homes  of  their  own.  For  this  reason  we 
should  carefully  avoid  appealing  to  any  am- 
bition that  in  any  way  deprecates  the  home.”  5 
In  this  era  of  widespread  popularity  of 
woman’s  education  the  mission  schools  have  an 
opportunity  to  exert  a far  wider  influence  over 
Chinese  home  life  than  ever  before.  The  pu- 
pils in  these  schools  come  from  every  rank  and 
grade  of  society.  Not  a few  are  the  daughters 
of  officials  and  will  become  the  wives  of  of- 
ficials, and  the  mothers  of  men  of  rank.  The 
principal  of  a school  in  South  China  writes  of 
a visit  to  Tientsin,  where  one  of  her  former 
pupils  was  “ the  wife  of  a rising  young  of- 
ficial,” and  to  Peking,  where  the  husband  of 
another  was  “ Secretary  and  Physician  to  His 

Excellency .”  The  young  official's  wife 

was  giving  private  lessons  to  the  wife  and 
daughter  of  His  Excellency,  and  was  in  every 
way  occupying  a position  of  great  influence. 
Many  come  from  homes  of  wealth,  and  will 
in  all  probability  marry  men  of  wealth  and 
be  the  mothers  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  new 
China.  Many  students  from  these  mission 
schools  for  girls  will  marry  graduates  of  the 
Christian  schools  for  boys,  becoming  the  wives 
• Report  of  West  China  Conference,  1908. 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  201 

of  business  men,  engineers,  lawyers,  physicians, 
teachers,  and  ministers.  All  over  the  Empire 
these  girls  will  be  the  centres  of  homes  of 
influence. 

All  Christian  schools  for  girls  beyond  the 
very  elementary  day  school  are  boarding 
schools,  because  according  to  Chinese  custom 
it  is  not  seemly  for  young  women  to  be  seen 
going  to  and  fro  on  the  streets.  Thus,  at 
the  most  receptive  period  of  their  lives,  these 
girls  are  day  by  day  and  year  after  year  under 
the  influence  of  earnest  Christian  women, 
whose  lives  as  well  as  their  teachings,  serve 
to  plant  Christian  principles  in  the  hearts  of 
their  pupils.  It  is  little  wonder  that  many  a 
teacher  in  China  has  been  able  to  say  that 
practically  no  girl  had  ever  completed  the 
course  of  study  in  her  school  without  becom- 
ing a Christian.  Even  when  the  girls  come 
from  homes  where  the  opposition  of  their  par- 
ents has  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  make 
any  outward  expression  of  their  belief  in 
Christian  truths,  those  truths  are  cherished  in 
their  hearts  and  make  them  worthy  wives  and 
mothers.  Their  children  will  meet  with  no  op- 
position from  them,  if  when  they  have  learned 
of  Christianity  they  wish  to  become  open  fol- 
lowers of  Christ. 

A member  of  the  American  consular  force, 


202  Education  of  Women  in  China 

long  resident  in  China,  said  not  long  ago : “ I 
regard  the  Christian  training  of  Chinese  girls 
as  the  most  effective  method  of  the  spread  of 
Christianity.  The  most  optimistic  imagina- 
tion cannot  take  too  favourable  a view  in  con- 
templating the  future  of  China  when  a Chris- 
tian wife  shall  be  at  the  centre  of  even  a small 
proportion  of  its  homes.”  Is  it  possible  to 
overstate  the  opportunity  before  the  mission 
schools  of  China  to-day,  in  the  privilege  that  is 
open  to  them  of  giving  strong  Christian  train- 
ing to  this  great  army  of  girls?  From  every 
part  of  the  Empire,  and  from  homes  of  every 
rank,  multitudes  are  coming  who,  after  spend- 
ing the  most  plastic  period  of  their  lives 
under  Christian  influences,  will  go  forth  to 
be  the  centres  of  influential  homes  in  every 
part  of  the  great  new  China. 

Many  of  these  students  will  be  teachers. 
A large  proportion  of  them  will  teach  for  a 
few  years  before  marriage,  many  will  find  it 
possible  to  give  a portion  of  their  time  to  teach- 
ing after  marriage,  and  a few  will  give  their 
whole  lives  to  this  work.  Many  of  them  will 
find  their  place  of  greatest  usefulness  in  the 
mission  schools,  passing  on  to  other  girls  the 
blessings  which  they  have  received  there. 
There  is  ahvays  a demand  for  capable,  well- 
trained  Chinese  women  teachers  in  the  mission 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  203 

schools,  and  as  long  as  Christian  schools  exist 
this  demand  will  continue  to  offer  opportunity 
of  large  service  to  the  graduates. 

But  there  is  another  great  field  of  oppor- 
tunity for  young  Chinese  women  teachers,  in 
the  government  and  gentry  schools,  whose 
need  of  trained  teachers  is  well-nigh  desperate. 
The  principal  of  a large  mission  school  in 
Nanking  told  me  that,  even  before  her  girls 
had  graduated,  they  were  sought  as  teachers 
by  those  in  charge  of  government  or  gentry 
schools,  and  were  offered  what  were  to  them 
fabulous  salaries,  three  times  the  size  of  their 
fathers’  earnings.  The  daughters  of  those  in 
charge  of  these  institutions  were  themselves 
sent  to  her  school,  in  order,  she  thought,  that 
they  might  receive  such  training  as  would  en- 
able them  to  be  teachers  in  the  schools  of  which 
their  parents  had  charge. 

These  government  and  gentry  schools  are 
far  more  than  merely  willing  to  take  graduates 
of  Christian  schools  as  teachers ; they  are  eager 
for  them,  for  they  know  that  they  are  better 
qualified  teachers  than  any  other  women  avail- 
able. In  fact,  there  are  practically  no  other 
women  in  the  Empire  who  are  able  to  teach 
the  modern  education  which  is  so  important  a 
part  of  the  curricula  of  these  schools. 

In  an  article  in  “ The  Student  World  ” of 


204  Education  of  Women  in  China 

July,  1910,  Miss  Paddock,  national  secretary 
of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Association 
of  China,  writes : “ There  is  not  a Christian 
young  woman,  graduate  of  a Christian  school, 
who  could  not  find  immediate  employment  in 
these  institutions.  One  of  the  most  progressive 
viceroys  of  the  Empire,  calling  for  women  to 
take  examination  and  be  sent  abroad  to  become 
fitted  to  lead  the  education  of  the  provinces 
under  his  control,  sent  three  Christian  young 
women  to  America  for  such  preparation,  they 
being  the  ones  who  could  best  pass  the  ex- 
aminations.” 

“ It  seemed  rather  incongruous,”  Mrs.  Taft 
wrote  from  Tientsin,  “ to  sit  in  the  room  which 
contained  the  tablet  in  honour  of  Confucius, 
incense,  candles  and  all  the  other  parapher- 
nalia for  worship,  and  listen  as  the  young 
Christian  teacher  sang,  ‘ Jesus,  lover  of  my 
soul.’  Though  the  principal  is  a strict  Con- 
fucianist  she  employs  this  girl  trained  in  a 
mission  school  in  Shanghai,  and  a Christian, 
such  is  the  demand  for  Western  accomplish- 
ments.” 6 

Far  north  in  Manchuria  some  of  the  gentry 
wished  to  open  a school  for  girls  about  four 
years  ago,  and  selected  a young  graduate  of  a 
mission  school  as  their  first  choice  for  teacher. 

* Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East,  Sept.,  1906. 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  205 

“ She  was  approached  by  the  gentlemen  in 
charge  and  tendered  the  school  with  a good 
salary.  She  replied,  ‘ Yes,  I will  teach  in  the 
school  if  I may  teach  for  one  hour  each  day 
from  the  Bible.’  ‘ We  could  not  permit  that,’ 
said  they,  and  took  their  leave.  Search  for  a 
teacher  went  on  elsewhere  but  to  no  avail. 
Again  the  young  woman  was  approached  with 
a still  better  offer,  which  was  as  firmly  refused 
unless  her  conditions  be  met.  The  search  for 
a teacher  proved  to  be  of  no  avail,  and  at  last 
the  officials  came  to  her  with  permission  to 
teach  the  school,  free  to  teach  the  Gospel  that 
had  become  to  her  more  than  meat  and  drink, 
more  than  money  and  influence.”  7 

In  Foochow  another  young  Christian  Chi- 
nese woman  was  recently  invited  by  some  of 
the  leading  officials  of  the  city  to  open  a kin- 
dergarten for  their  children.  She  firmly  de- 
clined to  accept  the  position  if  she  were  to 
be  required  to  teach  on  Sunday,  and  won  her 
point,  so  great  was  their  desire  for  her 
services.8 

The  fact  that  these  schools  do  not  insist  on 
making  requirements  of  their  teachers  to  which 
Christian  young  women  could  not  conscien- 

7 Miss  Paddock,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , 
Dec.,  1907. 

8 Life  and  Light  for  Women , Feb.,  1908. 


206  Education  of  Women  in  China 

tiously  conform,  removes  objections  which 
would  otherwise  be  felt  to  their  teaching  in 
them.  “ No  wrong  worship  is  required  of 
her,”  a missionary  writes  of  a teacher  in  a 
government  school  of  Peking,  “ and  as  the  Sab- 
bath is  a holiday  she  is  able  to  attend  Sabbath 
services  at  the  Presbyterian  Mission  which  is 
not  far  from  the  school.”  9 Dr.  Carleton  spoke 
of  the  Confucian  tablets  in  the  government 
schools  of  the  north,  at  which  “ students  are 
expected  to  worship  at  least  twice  a month,” 
but  noted  that  “ the  teachers  are  exempt  from 
this.”  10  “ There  is  in  them  no  heathen  wor- 
ship and  Sunday  is  observed  as  a day  of 
rest,”  11  Mrs.  Bashford,  wife  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Missionary  Bishop  for  China,  wrote 
of  the  government  and  gentry  schools  with 
which  she  was  acquainted. 

It  is  a matter  for  congratulation  that  the 
students  from  Christian  schools  are  thus  free 
to  accept  positions  in  the  government  and  gen- 
try schools,  for  the  opportunity  of  service  thus 
presented  to  them  is  no  slight  one.  A teacher 
may  exert  a great  influence  in  any  country, 
but  the  reverence  with  which  China  has  for 

* Miss  Mary  Andrews,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Women, 
Nov.,  1907. 

10  Missionary  Review  of  the  World,  Feb.,  1908. 

11  Life  and  Light  for  Women,  Jan.,  1908. 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  207 

centuries  regarded  her  teachers  and  learned 
men  probably  makes  the  position  of  teacher 
there,  one  of  even  greater  potential  power  than 
in  other  nations.  “ We  inherit  the  respect  for 
centuries  accorded  teachers,”  a young  Amer- 
ican teacher  in  China  once  told  me.  The  edu- 
cated young  Chinese  women  inherit  it  also, 
for  China  has  proved  consistent  in  her  rever- 
ence for  learning  and  honours  it  in  women  to- 
day as  she  has  ever  honoured  it  in  man.  A 
striking  example  of  this  was  recently  given 
when  a man  employed  as  a teacher  in  two 
government  schools  proposed  to  take  an  edu- 
cated woman  of  the  city  for  a secondary  wife. 
“ His  students  rose  in  revolt,  not  against 
polygamy,  as  we  might  suppose,  but  against 
dishonour  to  learning,  which  all  Chinese  rev- 
erence. The  wrong  was  averted  and  the 
teacher  lost  both  his  positions.” 12 

The  mission  school  graduates  who  accept 
positions  as  teachers  in  the  government  and 
gentry  schools  are  thus  entering  positions  of 
great  influence.  To  them  is  given  the  privilege 
not  only  of  using  their  education  and  training 
to  build  the  new,  struggling  schools  into  strong 
institutions,  but  also  of  giving  to  their  eager 
and  receptive  pupils  a vision  of  the  true  and 

12  Mrs.  J.  W.  Bashford,  in  Life  and  Light  for  Women , 
Jan.,  1908. 


208  Education  of  Women  in  China 

beautiful  womanhood  which  is  their  birthright. 
This  alone  will  enable  the  women  of  China 
to  face  their  responsibilities  at  this  critical  era 
in  their  nation’s  history,  and  help  them  to 
mould  the  new  China  into  lines  of  strength 
and  righteousness. 

“ Tempting  doors  are  opening  for  our  girls 
in  the  new  schools  which  are  being  started  by 
Chinese,  where  high  salaries  are  paid  and 
where  there  is  no  interest  in  Christianity,”  said 
Miss  Rollestone  of  Ningpo  at  a conference  of 
workers  in  girls’  schools,  held  at  Mohkanshan. 
“ In  many  cases  there  are  and  will  be  splendid 
opportunities  where  spirit-taught  girls  can  be 
greatly  used  in  being  witnesses  for  Christ  in 
places  where  foreigners  are  neither  wanted  nor 
admitted.  This  side  of  the  matter  ought  to  be 
kept  before  our  girls.  One  girl  said  to  me, 

‘ Sometimes  when  I think  of  these  things  my 
heart  bums.’  ” 13 

The  position  of  these  Christian  young 
women  teaching  in  government  or  gentry 
schools,  as  respects  religion,  is  much  the  same 
as  that  of  a Christian  teaching  in  the  public 
schools  of  Chicago  or  New  York.  In  so  far 
as  their  own  conduct  and  character  are  expres- 
sive of  Christian  ideals,  they  inevitably  exert 
on  their  pupils  an  elevating  and  healthful  in- 

*•  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far  East , Sept.,  1906. 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  209 

fluence,  and  as  inevitably  commend  to  them  the 
religion  which  has  shaped  their  own  lives.  Di- 
rect Christian  teaching  is  rarely  permitted  in 
these  schools  and  it  would  be  a difficult  matter 
to  reach  many  of  the  students  by  religious 
services.  But  in  some  of  them  there  is  a very 
tolerant  attitude  toward  religious  matters. 
For  example,  at  the  formal  opening  of  the 
Tengchow  Girls’  School,  established  by  order 
of  the  Governor  of  Shantung,  the  young 
Christian  teacher  who  had  been  engaged  to 
take  charge  of  the  school  asked  the  prefect’s 
mother,  who  was  conducting  the  exercises,  if 
the  programme  “ might  not  be  begun  by 
prayer.”  Permission  was  willingly  given,  and 
all  stood  while  the  young  teacher  offered  an 
opening  prayer.  One  of  the  guests  remarked, 
“ We  try  to  teach  reverence  and  obedience  to 
teachers.  If  pupils  learn  to  obey  the  Supreme 
Ruler  they  will  certainly  obey  their  teach- 
ers.” 14 

In  the  government  schools  especially  there 
are  strict  rules  forbidding  the  teachers  to  talk 
of  Christianity  in  their  classes,  but  outside  of 
the  school,  they  are  of  course  private  individ- 
uals, free  to  speak  as  they  please.  The  oppor- 
tunities afforded  by  friendly  intercourse  with 

14  Mrs.  Calvin  Wight,  in  Woman's  Work  in  the  Far 
East,  June,  1907. 


210  Education  of  Women  in  China 

their  students,  together  with  the  constant  and 
natural  influence  of  their  lives,  are  probably 
more  effective  than  the  forbidden  classroom 
teaching  would  be. 

A young  Chinese  woman  who  has  been 
studying  in  America  during  the  past  year,  but 
was  before  she  came  teaching  in  a gentry  school 
under  these  conditions,  says,  “ Not  a word  of 
Christian  teaching  was  permitted  to  be  taught. 
However,  in  spite  of  such  restriction,  never 
in  my  life  have  I felt  the  power  of  Christianity 
so  vital  as  when  I was  there.  Here  one  could 
preach  by  life  only,  not  by  words,  not  on  Sun- 
day alone  but  every  day.  . . . The  change  in 
the  attitude  of  the  girls  toward  Christianity 
was  wonderful.  There  was  no  school  on  Sun- 
day and  every  one  was  free  to  do  whatever 
she  pleased.  As  they  were  indefatigable  work- 
ers, most  of  them  spent  the  seventh  day  in 
studying,  working,  or  in  other  activity.  One 
Sunday,  leaving  for  church,  I was  waylaid  by 
a group  of  girls  who  wanted  to  know  where 
I was  going.  Upon  being  told  of  the  place 
they  instantly  said,  ‘ May  we  go  with  you  ? ’ 
With  great  joy  I took  them  with  me.  How 
eagerly  they  listened  to  the  sermon.  This  was 
only  a start.  The  next  Sunday  the  number 
of  those  who  attended  the  service  was  doubled, 
over  forty.  From  this  time  on  they  showed 


A Chinese  Kindergarten  Teacher  and  Her  Pupils 


Present  Opportunity  and  Challenge  21 1 

real  interest  in  the  Christian  religion.  It  was 
a great  regret  for  me  not  to  have  been  able 
to  work  with  them  longer.”  15 

In  view  of  the  eagerness  with  which  the 
government  and  gentry  schools  are  seeking  the 
students  from  Christian  schools  as  teachers, 
and  of  the  valuable  services  which  these  able 
young  women  may  thus  render  this  most  an- 
cient and  most  populous  of  the  world’s  na- 
tions at  a great  turning  point  in  its  history, 
it  would  be  supremely  worth  while  to  give 
generous  support  to  Christian  schools,  were 
they  doing  nothing  more  than  to  put  capable 
young  women  teachers  into  the  non-Christian 
schools. 

But  there  is  another  important  service  which 
the  mission  schools  may  render  the  government 
and  gentry  schools  in  these  days  of  their  in- 
fancy. A letter  to  the  Association  of  Col- 
legiate Alumnae,  written  by  Mrs.  Bashford, 
reads : “ Scores  of  American  college  women 
engaged  in  mission  work  in  China  are  doing 
much  to  give  wise  direction  to  this  wonderful 
new  national  government  movement  for  the 
uplift  of  women.  They  are  supplying  the 
standard  and  their  schools  furnish  the  object 
lessons  according  to  which  the  new  govern- 

15  Vong  Pau  Sze,  in  The  Association  Monthly , Feb., 
1910. 


212  Education  of  Women  in  China 

ment  education  is  being  largely  fashioned.” 
Miss  Wykoff  of  North  China  writes  that  two 
ladies  of  rank  in  Soochow  asked  that  they 
might  spend  two  weeks  in  one  of  the  mission 
schools  in  order  that  they  might  see  how  it  was 
conducted,  as  they  were  planning  to  start  a 
girls’  boarding  school  in  their  home,  a large 
city  of  Eastern  China.  The  principal  of  a 
mission  school  in  Nanking  told  me  that  al- 
though her  school  was  not  fitted,  in  building 
or  equipment,  to  sen  e as  a model,  it  was  al- 
most daily  used  as  such,  so  frequent  were  the 
visits  she  received  from  government  officials 
or  private  individuals  who  were  about  to  estab- 
lish schools  for  girls. 

These  things  mean  that  it  is  now  within  the 
power  of  Christian  educators,  not  only  to  fur- 
nish many  of  the  teachers  for  the  government 
and  gentry  schools,  but  to  serve  as  models  for 
them  and  thus  to  permeate  the  whole  system 
of  education  for  women  with  the  elevating  in- 
fluence of  Christianity.  In  view  of  the  fact 
that  there  are  two  hundred  million  women  in 
China,  and  that  education  has  from  time  im- 
memorial been  the  dominant  influence  in  the 
life  of  the  nation,  the  significance  of  the  sit- 
uation can  scarcely  be  overemphasized.  But 
if  this  opportunity  is  not  to  be  lost,  it  must  be 
seized  promptly. 


XI 


THE  PRESENT  OPPORTUNITY  AND 
ITS  DEMANDS 

THERE  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  large 
service  which  the  Christian  schools 
for  girls  have  the  opportunity  to  ren- 
der China  at  this  time.  Nor  can  there  be  any 
question  of  the  inestimable  value  of  the  service 
which  they  have  rendered  in  the  almost  sev- 
enty years  since  Miss  Aldersey  established  the 
first  of  them,  to  the  present  time  when  girls’ 
schools  dot  the  entire  Empire.  “ The  woman 
missionary,”  says  Mr.  Denby,  for  many  years 
United  States  minister  to  China,  “ takes  in  her 
arms  the  poor,  neglected,  despised  girl  and 
transforms  her  into  an  intelligent,  educated 
woman.  If  the  missionaries  had  done  noth- 
ing else  for  China,  the  amelioration  of  the 
condition  of  the  women  would  be  glory 
enough.”  1 

How  large  a part  these  schools  have  played 
in  the  present  wonderful  awakening  in  China 
it  is  impossible  to  estimate,  but  certain  it  is 

1 Denby,  China  and  Her  People , Vol.  I,  p.  228. 

213 


214  Education  of  Women  in  China 

that  it  is  no  small  one.  Nor  will  any  one  ac- 
quainted with  conditions  at  the  present  time 
question  the  great  work  which  these  schools 
are  now  doing.  But  in  view  of  the  magnitude 
of  the  opportunity,  the  question  of  the  extent 
to  which  the  Christian  schools  are  fitted  to 
meet  it,  and  of  how  their  work  may  be  ren- 
dered even  more  effective,  is  certainly  a per- 
tinent one.  Are  we  equipping  our  mission 
schools  in  such  a way  as  to  enable  them  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  hour? 

I have  seen  more  than  one  mission  school 
in  China  housed  in  a substantial  and  comforta- 
ble home,  built  for  the  purpose,  and  well 
adapted  to  it.  But  I have  seen  more,  whose 
work  was  carried  on  in  crowded  and  uncom- 
fortable quarters,  which  were  a constant  dis- 
advantage. Sometimes  the  school  building  is 
one  which  was  built  years  ago,  when  woman's 
education  in  China  was  still  a comparatively 
small  and  struggling  thing,  when  pupils  had  to 
be  sought  for,  and  the  work  given  was  ele- 
mentary. These  buildings,  not  too  good  to 
begin  with  and  showing  the  effects  of  long  use, 
are  wholly  inadequate  to  the  present  situation. 
Eager  pupils  have  to  be  turned  away  constantly 
because  there  is  not  one  corner  of  the  dormi- 
tories where  another  bed  could  be  placed,  nor 
another  bit  of  floor  space  in  the  classrooms  on 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  215 

which  to  set  a chair.  Moreover,  those  who 
are  fortunate  enough  to  succeed  in  getting  in, 
live  in  crowded  conditions  in  which  the  strong- 
est development  of  body,  mind  and  spirit  is 
well-nigh  impossible. 

Sometimes  the  work  of  a Christian  school 
is  carried  on  in  a Chinese  house,  frequently 
a very  unattractive  one.  It  is  apt  to  be  even 
less  adapted  to  the  needs  of  a modern  school 
than  the  outgrown  mission  building,  and  the 
disadvantages  of  crowding  are  even  greater. 
I well  remember  one  such  school  in  a city  of 
great  opportunity,  where  families  of  wealth 
and  influence  were  eager  to  have  their  daugh- 
ters educated,  and  were  willing  to  send  them 
to  the  Christian  schools.  But  as  I went 
through  the  tiny  yard  which  was  the  only 
place  for  play  and  exercise,  into  the  dark, 
dingy  classrooms,  one  of  which  also  served  as 
dining  room,  and  up  the  narrow,  shaky  stairs 
to  the  crowded,  unattractive  dormitories,  I 
could  not  wonder  that  an  official  of  that  city 
had  told  the  principal  that  he  would  send  his 
daughter  to  her  school  if  she  had  a better 
building. 

In  that  city,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  prominent  of  the  Empire,  there  were 
three  other  mission  schools  for  girls.  One  of 
them,  an  English  school,  had  just  built  a good 


216  Education  of  Women  in  China 

new  building,  one  of  the  others  had  quarters  in 
a Chinese  house  fully  as  ding}',  dark  and  un- 
attractive as  the  one  just  mentioned,  and  the 
fourth  had  crowded  a building,  erected  many 
years  ago,  to  the  utmost  limit  reluctantly  per- 
mitted by  the  physician  of  the  mission. 

“ A woman  physician  who  visited  one  of 
the  finest  equipped  girls’  schools  of  Shanghai 
remonstrated  with  the  missionaries  in  charge 
on  account  of  the  crowded  condition  of  the 
dormitories,”  Miss  Cogdal  of  Shanghai  wrote 
a short  time  ago.  “ But  there  are  other  mis- 
sion schools  more  crowded  as  to  dormitories, 
and  with  a poorer  equipment  generally  than 
this  one.  God's  people  have  prayed  and  hoped 
that  China  would  awake  to  the  imperative  need 
of  education  for  her  daughters,  but  now  the 
first  signs  of  awakening  have  so  overwhelmed 
us  and  so  nearly  exhausted  our  visible  re- 
sources that  wise  workers  are  considering 
carefully  the  very  best  use  of  these  same  re- 
sources. ...  A wealthy  Christian  gentleman 
from  the  United  States  who  attended  the  con- 
ference in  Shanghai  last  year  and  who  has 
given  liberally  to  the  mission  cause,  asked  a 
teacher  in  one  of  the  Christian  girls’  schools 
if  she  was  not  ashamed  to  teach  in  such  poor 
buildings  and  with  such  unlovely  surround- 
ings. But  the  teachers  in  that  same  school 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  217 

feel  that  inasmuch  as  it  has  been  said  that 
Mark  Hopkins  and  a pupil  with  naught  but 
a log  between  them  would  be  a university,  it 
is  just  as  true  that  when  a missionary  with  a 
heart  full  of  Christ’s  love  and  sympathy  for 
her  poor,  downtrodden,  ignorant  sisters  comes 
in  contact  with  Chinese  girls  eager  for  the 
advantages  of  a Christian  education,  there  is 
bound  to  be  a school,  log  or  no  log,  equipment 
or  no  equipment.”  2 

No  criticism  can  be  made  of  the  mission- 
aries, for  carrying  on  their  work  in  such  de- 
plorable surroundings  as  they  often  do.  In 
the  face  of  the  present  need  and  opportunity 
they  cannot  refuse  to  teach  the  eager  girls 
pressing  on  them  from  all  sides,  in  whatever 
surroundings  are  the  best  obtainable.  We  must 
rather  criticise  ourselves,  who  have  given  them 
such  tiny  sums  with  which  to  carry  on  their 
work  of  equipping  the  women  of  the  great  new 
China  for  their  large  responsibilities,  that  they 
must  do  that  work  under  conditions  which  are 
a constant  source  of  shame  to  them,  and  all 
who  believe  in  the  work  they  are  doing. 

The  disadvantages  of  work  under  such  con- 
ditions are  manifold.  Not  the  least  of  them 
is  the  fact  that  the  poor  equipment  of  many  of 
the  schools  causes  them  to  lose  some  fine  girls 
2 Woman’s  Work  in  the  Far  East , Sept.,  1908. 


218  Education  of  Women  in  China 

from  the  most  influential  families.  These  girls 
would  have  come  if  the  school  had  had  “ a 
better  building,”  and  they  would  have  gone  out 
equipped  with  Christian  education  and  train- 
ing, to  be  powers  for  good  in  their  positions 
of  influence.  So  long  as  schools  are  housed  in 
such  buildings  as  many  of  them  now  are,  we 
cannot  blame  the  official  who  does  not  wish 
to  send  his  daughter  to  live  in  their  crowded 
discomfort. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  pupils  who  do 
come,  the  disadvantages  are  also  serious. 
They  cannot  be  or  do  their  best  in  such  sur- 
roundings. It  is  impossible  in  these  crowded 
rooms  to  teach  them  the  lessons  in  neatness, 
and  cleanliness  about  a house,  which  their 
homes  often  fail  to  give  them,  and  which 
would  make  them  far  better  home-makers  than 
they  could  otherwise  be.  They  lack  the  ob- 
ject lesson  which  light  and  well-ventilated 
rooms  would  be,  nor  do  they  receive  the  cul- 
ture given  by  well-chosen  and  well-arranged 
furniture  and  decorations. 

In  equipment  other  than  classrooms  and 
dormitories  many  mission  schools  are  weak 
also.  In  schools  for  Chinese  the  sciences 
should  be  among  the  strongest  and  most  thor- 
oughly studied  subjects  in  the  curriculum,  but 
in  too  many  cases  this  work  is  deplorably  weak, 


Almost  Ready  for  College 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  219 

because  the  appropriation  for  the  school  is  not 
large  enough  to  provide  the  apparatus  with- 
out which  no  laboratory  work  can  be  done. 

Every  year  the  presses  in  Shanghai  and 
other  cities  are  adding  to  the  number  of  strong, 
stimulating  books  which  have  been  written  in 
Chinese,  or  translated  into  it,  and  every  year 
more  and  more  girls  are  becoming  able  to  read 
English.  But  the  name  of  the  schools  without 
libraries  is  legion.  Even  libraries  for  the  use 
of  the  teachers  are  few  indeed,  and  lessons 
have  to  be  prepared  and  recited  without  the  aid 
of  any  collateral  reading  by  teacher  or  pupil. 
Even  a dictionary  is  sometimes  too  expensive 
an  article  to  be  owned  by  a mission  school. 

If  ever  girls  needed  the  benefit  of  proper 
exercise,  the  Chinese  girls,  descended  from 
generations  of  bound-footed  women,  need  it. 
But  when  the  only  gymnasium  is  the  yard, 
and  exercise  is  therefore  dependent  on  dry 
weather  of  moderate  temperature,  and  when 
only  the  simplest  sort  of  gymnastic  apparatus 
can  be  afforded, — if  indeed  there  is  any  at 
all, — physical  culture  can  be  by  no  means 
thorough. 

Perhaps  the  most  serious  economy  which 
the  mission  schools  have  been  forced  to  prac- 
tice is  in  the  matter  of  teachers.  Only  a few 
months  ago  a letter  from  the  principal  of  one 


220  Education  of  Women  in  China 

of  these  schools  told  me  of  the  loss  of  one  of 
her  most  promising  pupils,  the  daughter  of 
one  of  the  best  official  families  in  the  city.  Her 
father  had  sent  her  to  a school  in  a city  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  away,  because  the  appro- 
priation for  teachers  in  that  mission  school 
was  not  sufficient  to  permit  the  employment 
of  a good  instructor  in  the  Chinese  classics. 
Yet  a very  small  sum  would  have  secured  the 
services  of  an  excellent  Chinese  teacher. 

The  salaries  of  missionaries  are  never  high, 
yet  the  schools  with  an  adequate  foreign  teach- 
ing force  are  very  few  in  number.  The  inevi- 
table result  is  to  weaken  the  quality  of  the 
work  which  is  given,  and  to  limit  the  amount 
which  can  be  offered.  Opportunities  long  and 
patiently  waited  for  are  pressing  upon  the 
school  from  every  side.  With  a vision  of  the 
needs  and  the  possibilities  of  this  critical  period 
in  China’s  history,  the  teacher  who  has  given 
her  life  for  these  girls  of  China  longs  to  give 
them  all  that  she  possibly  can,  of  that  which 
will  enrich  their  lives  and  add  to  their  useful- 
ness. She  does  not,  cannot,  spare  herself,  and 
although  the  hours  of  rest  in  an  Oriental  cli- 
mate should  be  more  frequent  than  at  home, 
she  reduces  them  to  a minimum  and  over- 
works most  of  the  time.  Very  probably  she 
realizes  that  she  is  almost  always  too  tired  to 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  221 

do  her  best  work,  but  the  work  must  be  done, 
every  one  else  is  as  overburdened  as  she  is, 
and  countless  opportunities  are  being  unmet. 
Can  any  one  blame  her,  since  by  her  utmost 
effort  she  can  do  little  more  than  what  seems 
absolutely  necessary,  if  she  works  too  hard, 
even  to  the  point  sometimes  of  breaking  down 
and  having  to  go  back  to  America  to  recover, 
making  it  necessary  either  that  her  work  be 
done  by  already  overburdened  fellow-workers, 
or  left  undone? 

It  is  easy  to  find  fault  because  newly 
arrived  workers  are  often  immediately  given 
so  many  tasks  which  can  be  performed 
without  the  knowledge  of  the  language,  that 
their  language  study  is  seriously  interfered 
with,  so  much  so  sometimes  as  to  cripple 
them  in  after  years.  But  it  is  also  easy  to 
understand  that  this  is  done  because  we  at 
home  have  made  it  necessary.  That  the  teach- 
ing done  in  the  Christian  schools,  while  usually 
far  better  than  that  of  the  government  and 
gentry  schools,  is  nevertheless  not  always  the 
strong  and  vigorous  work  which  the  situation 
demands,  is  not  in  most  cases  because  the 
teachers  are  not  capable  of  doing  this  work, 
but  is  rather  due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  too 
overworked  to  do  that  of  which  they  are 
capable. 


222  Education  of  Women  in  China 

Crowded  buildings,  lack  of  equipment,  over- 
worked teachers,  are  certainly  sufficiently  un- 
desirable in  themselves.  But  when  we  remem- 
ber that  many  of  the  schools  in  which  these 
conditions  exist  are  to-day  visited  by  the  Chi- 
nese in  search  of  methods  and  suggestions  for 
the  government  and  gentry  schools,  the  situa- 
tion is  seen  to  be  even  more  serious  than  it 
otherwise  would  be.  If  Christian  schools  are 
to  serve  as  models,  they  must  be  worthy  to  be 
copied.  They  ought  to  be  the  best  schools  in 
China,  from  every  point  of  view.  It  dis- 
credits Christianity  in  the  eyes  of  the  Chinese, 
if  they  are  not. 

“We  are  out  here  in  China  for  the  avowed 
purpose  of  bringing  China  to  Christ,’’  says  a 
writer  in  the  “ Educational  Review  of  China.” 
“ But  that  does  not  prevent  us  from  establish- 
ing and  conducting  efficiently  the  best  schools 
in  China,  and  by  best  we  mean  the  best  from 
an  educational  standpoint.  Our  buildings 
ought  to  be  the  best,  not  necessarily  the  most 
expensive  or  the  most  showy,  but  the  best 
adapted  to  educational  purposes.  Our  teachers 
ought  to  be  the  best — not  only  the  best  morally 
and  religiously,  but  also  the  best-equipped  in- 
tellectually and  the  most  skilful  in  the  art  of 
teaching.  We  believe  it  is  of  prime  importance 
to  have  good  Christian  men  and  women  as 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  223 

teachers  in  our  schools,  but  it  is  more  inex- 
cusable to  have  an  incompetent  teacher  of 
mathematics  or  science  or  any  other  subject, 
however  spiritually  minded  he  may  be,  than 
to  have  a teacher  with  less  religious  fervour, 
but  who  is  a thoroughly  competent  instructor 
in  his  line.  A religious  incompetent  as  a 
teacher  can  do  as  much  harm  as  a non-Chris- 
tian. We  need  in  our  schools  teachers  who 
combine  religious  fervour  and  pedagogic  skill 
and  we  should  be  satisfied  with  nothing 
less.”  3 

Christian  education  for  women  in  China 
needs  better  buildings,  better  equipment,  and 
a more  adequate  teaching  force,  and  it  also 
needs  to  be  able  to  offer  more  advanced  work 
than  was  necessary  in  the  past.  There  are, 
and  always  will  be,  many  girls  in  China  who 
cannot  take  more  than  the  equivalent  of  a 
grammar  school  education,  and  too  much  em- 
phasis cannot  be  laid  on  the  importance  of 
good  girls’  schools  of  grammar  grade.  But 
there  are  many  who  desire,  and  whose  par- 
ents desire  for  them,  a more  thorough  educa- 
tion, and  who  will  be  more  useful  and  influ- 
ential women  if  they  are  given  it.  It  is  much 
to  give  a child  a good  primary  education,  but 
the  girl  who  leaves  the  influence  of  the  Chris- 
3 Editorial  in  Educational  Review , Feb.,  1909. 


224  Education  of  Women  in  China 

tian  school  at  that  point  is  still  very  plastic 
and  other  influences  may  undo  much  of  that 
which  has  been  wrought  in  her.  But  the  girl 
who  remains  for  high  school  work  is  almost 
a woman  when  she  completes  that  course.  In 
addition  to  the  greater  power  for  usefulness 
and  influence  which  her  further  study  and 
training  have  given  her,  her  ideals  and  pur- 
poses are  too  firmly  fixed  to  be  easily  changed. 
A few  years  ago  it  was  difficult  to  keep  girls 
through  a high  school  course.  The  desire  for 
their  services  in  the  home,  and  early  mar- 
riages, had  much  to  do  with  this.  But  to-day 
many  parents  are  eager  to  have  their  daugh- 
ters remain  through  the  entire  course,  and 
the  desire  of  educated  young  men  for  well- 
educated  wives  has  militated  against  early  mar- 
riages. 

The  need  for  more  academic  education  than 
has  been  given  in  previous  years  has  been 
recognized  by  missionary  educators,  and  the 
curricula  of  many  of  the  schools  have  been 
much  extended  in  the  past  few  years.  Many 
of  them  have  included  a normal  training 
course.  The  teachers  and  equipment  necessary 
to  carry  out  the  work  thus  outlined  in  the  cur- 
ricula should  be  supplied  at  once,  for  young 
women  thus  trained  are  urgently  needed  in 
China. 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  225 

Attention  has  already  been  called  to  the 
great  dearth  of  trained  teachers  in  the  gov- 
ernment and  gentry  schools.  Part  of  the  work 
in  them  could  be  done  successfully  by  girls  with 
a good  high  school  education,  including  some 
training  in  methods  of  teaching.  Young 
women  with  such  training  are  needed  also  in 
the  mission  schools,  the  work  of  which  has 
always  been  hampered  in  the  past  for  lack  of 
good  Chinese  women  teachers.  One  of  the 
most  prominent  workers  in  woman’s  education 
in  China  told  me  that  the  entire  system  was 
crippled  by  the  poor  work  done  at  the  very 
beginning,  in  the  elementary  day  school,  by 
untrained  teachers.  Children  thus  hampered 
by  poor  foundation  work  were  at  a disadvan- 
tage throughout  the  entire  course.  In  one 
school  which  I visited,  the  American  teacher 
was  taking  a class  of  girls  through  precisely 
the  same  work  in  arithmetic  which  they  had 
gone  over  with  a Chinese  teacher  the  preced- 
ing year,  having  found  in  the  attempted  review 
that  the  class  knew  no  more  about  the  sub- 
ject than  if  they  had  never  studied  it.  Well- 
trained  elementary  teachers  will  strengthen 
the  educational  system  at  its  very  roots,  and 
will  solve  the  dilemma  which  many  mission 
schools  have  to  face,  of  giving  the  work  of 
their  lower  grades  into  incompetent  hands,  or 


226  Education  of  Women  in  China 

of  having  much  of  it  done  by  their  college 
trained  American  women,  who  are  so  well 
equipped  and  so  much  needed  for  the  more 
advanced  work.  Good  high  schools  for  girls 
and  many  of  them,  are  one  of  the  most  im- 
perative needs  in  China  to-day,  and  will  meet 
many  of  the  most  urgent  demands  in  woman’s 
education  in  that  country. 

But  high  schools  only  will  not  be  sufficient. 
The  replies  to  a questionnaire  sent  to  the  prin- 
cipals of  the  leading  Christian  girls’  schools 
in  China  were  almost  unanimous  in  the 
strongly  expressed  belief  that  college  education 
for  women  was  a present  need.  Chief  among 
the  reasons  given  for  this  belief  was  the  great 
dearth  of  trained  Chinese  teachers.  While 
high  school  graduates  can  do  much  in  the  pri- 
mary grades,  it  is  felt  that  college  trained 
teachers  are  necessary  for  the  work  in  the 
high  schools. 

It  is  felt  also  that  the  best  work  in  the 
government  and  gentry  schools  can  be  done 
only  by  college  trained  women.  The  posi- 
tion of  teacher  in  these  schools  is  a more  re- 
sponsible and  difficult  one  than  that  of  teacher 
in  a Christian  school,  and  the  average  girl 
fresh  from  high  school  is  rather  too  im- 
mature to  undertake  such  large  responsibility, 
especially  if  she  is  the  only  representative  of 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  227 

Christian  education  on  the  teaching  staff.  The 
very  magnitude  of  the  opportunity,  which 
would  be  so  stimulating  to  an  older  and  more 
thoroughly  equipped  girl,  may  prove  over- 
whelming to  her,  and  the  fact  that  she  must 
often  stand  alone,  without  sympathetic  co- 
operation from  her  fellow-workers,  may  cause 
her  to  lose  courage.  There  seems  to  be  no 
reason  why  the  more  elementary  work  in  these 
schools  might  not  be  done  by  high  school  grad- 
uates, associated  with  a college  graduate.  But 
few  will  question  that  the  more  thoroughly 
trained  are  the  teachers  furnished  these 
schools,  the  greater  the  service  that  can  be 
rendered. 

The  replies  to  the  questionnaire  referred  to 
indicate  also  that  there  is  not  only  a theoretical 
need  for  college  education  among  the  Chinese 
women,  but  that  there  are  already  several 
young  women  who  are  prepared  and  eager  for 
it,  and  that  they  are  steadily  increasing  in 
number.  Several  of  these  young  women  have 
gone  to  Japan,  or  even  to  America,  to  study, 
but  the  number  who  can  afford  foreign  educa- 
tion is  necessarily  small.  Those  who  would 
gladly  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  for 
a college  education  could  such  education  be 
given  them  in  China,  are  a much  large  number 
than  those  who  are  at  present  able  to  obtain 


228  Education  of  Women  in  China 

it.  Moreover,  there  are  necessarily  some  dis- 
advantages of  life  in  a foreign  country,  for 
young  women  of  a nation  so  recently  apart 
from  the  rest  of  the  world  as  was  China. 
While  foreign  education  will  probably  for 
many  years  to  come  be  of  benefit  to  a few  ex- 
ceptional women,  the  great  majority  of  Chinese 
girls  ought  not  to  be  forced  to  seek  college 
training  outside  of  their  own  country. 

A few  centrally  located  colleges,  with 
courses  carefully  adapted  to  meet  present  needs 
in  China,  would  do  much  to  strengthen  all 
the  educational  work  for  women.  They  would 
furnish  well-trained  teachers  for  the  Christian 
and  also  for  the  government  and  gentry 
schools;  would  tend  to  unify  the  curricula  of 
the  schools  of  lower  grade;  would  afford  op- 
portunity for  studies  in  special  lines  such  as 
music,  domestic  science,  medicine,  etc.,  and 
would  give  broad,  general  culture  to  women 
looking  forward  to  positions  of  influence  in 
home  life.  It  is  the  practically  unanimous 
opinion  of  women  educators  in  China  that  each 
of  these  colleges  should  be  a union  college, 
either  controlled  by  a union  of  the  Protestant 
forces  of  the  territory  in  which  it  is  established, 
as  is  the  one  which  has  already  been  started 
in  North  China,  or  else  representing  some 
American  or  English  college  or  colleges,  as 


The  Only  School  for  Girls  in  a City  of  Twenty  Thousand 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  229 

does  the  college  for  men  established  by  Yale 
University  in  Changsha.  The  need  of  such 
a college  as  this  in  some  centrally  located  city 
of  East  China  is  already  so  evident,  that  it  is 
earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  the  money  necessary 
to  establish  a strong,  thoroughly  well-equipped 
institution  will  not  long  be  lacking.  Before 
the  earliest  date  at  which  plans  for  a college 
could  be  executed  the  need  will  be  even  more 
urgent  than  it  is  now. 

No  one  interested  in  the  welfare  of  China 
can  visit  that  nation  to-day,  and  study  the 
needs  and  opportunities  of  this  time  of  start- 
lingly rapid  changes,  without  becoming  con- 
vinced that  there  are  possibilities  of  service  of 
eternal  value  in  China  to-day,  of  a magnitude 
such  as  Christian  people  have  not  faced  since 
the  days  of  the  Reformation,  or  even  since  the 
first  century  of  the  Christian  era.  But  with 
that  conviction  there  comes  to  many  also  a 
second  conviction,  which  is  that  China  has  no 
greater  need  than  that  Christian  people  of  other 
lands  should  realize  her  present  crisis  and  rise 
to  meet  the  opportunities  of  service  which  it 
affords,  before  they  are  gone  not  to  return. 
The  China  of  to-day  is  plastic,  the  China  of 
a very  few  years  hence  will  be  far  less  so. 
No  one  sentence  could  have  better  expressed 
the  present  situation  and  its  significance,  than 


230  Education  of  Women  in  China 

the  few  words  cabled  to  the  Student  Volun- 
teer Convention  held  in  Rochester  from  De- 
cember 29,  1909,  to  January  3,  1910,  “ God 
has  melted  ancient  China ; who  will  mould  the 
new?” 

Christian  education  for  women  in  China  to- 
day has  an  opportunity  to  render  that  nation 
an  invaluable  service.  All  the  strong  Chris- 
tian schools  which  can  be  established  will  be 
filled  to  overflowing  with  young  women,  who 
because  of  their  education  will  go  out  to  be 
powers  all  through  the  Empire.  Moreover,  it 
is  to  these  schools  that  the  government  and 
gentry  schools  must  look  for  their  teachers 
and  methods.  To  give  Christian  training  di- 
rectly to  many,  and  through  them  indirectly  to 
many  more,  of  the  young  women  who  are  to 
be  the  mothers  and  teachers  of  the  great  new 
China,  is  to  invest  life  or  money  in  a way 
that  will  yield  the  richest  of  returns. 

But  the  present  opportunity  cannot  be  met 
unless  the  Christian  schools  are  strengthened. 
It  is  now  in  the  power  of  Christian  education 
to  exert  a kind  and  degree  of  influence  which 
will  be  wholly  for  the  good  of  the  educational 
system  of  China,  and  to  win  for  itself  a place 
akin  to  that  held  by  the  Christian  schools  of 
America.  But  the  Chinese  are  exerting  great 
energy  in  remedying  the  weaknesses  in  their 


Present  Opportunity  and  Demands  231 

schools.  Unless  the  weaknesses  in  the  Chris- 
tian schools  are  promptly  corrected  we  shall 
some  day  awake  to  find  that  Christian  educa- 
tion has  lost  its  position  of  leadership,  and 
that  thus  one  of  the  greatest  means  of  helping 
the  Chinese  to  build  their  new  nation  into 
lines  of  strength  and  righteousness  has  gone 
beyond  recall. 

If  Christian  education  is  to  keep  its  place 
of  great  influence  it  must  be  so  supported  that 
it  can  be  housed  in  substantial,  well-planned 
buildings,  and  supplied  with  the  apparatus  nec- 
essary to  thorough  work.  The  schools  must 
have  funds  at  their  command  sufficient  to  en- 
able them  to  carry  their  courses  of  study  to 
whatever  point  of  advancement  the  situation 
makes  necessary.  Most  important  of  all,  there 
must  be  adequate  teaching  forces  of  thoroughly 
trained  women,  who  will  have  such  opportuni- 
ties for  refreshment  of  body,  mind  and  spirit 
that  they  will  be  strong  and  clear  visioned  to 
carry  out  the  magnificent  task  assigned  them. 
More  schools  are  needed.  In  one  city  of 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants  there  is  but  one 
Christian  school  for  girls.  In  other  cities  there 
are  none.  More  schools  are  needed,  but  greater 
than  this  need  is  that  of  better  and  stronger 
schools.  Without  them  one  of  the  greatest 
opportunities  for  large  service  of  eternal  value 


232  Education  of  Women  in  China 

which  life  ever  offers  will  be  lost.  With  them, 
every  class  of  society  will  be  reached,  edu- 
cated Christian  women  will  be  centres  of  in- 
fluential homes  all  over  the  Empire,  the 
mothers  and  the  teachers  of  the  new  China  will 
be  women  worthy  of  their  high  office,  and  the 
educational  work  for  the  women  of  the  new 
nation  will  be  permeated  with  the  influence 
and  the  spirit  of  Christ 


THE  END 


t 


DATE  DUE 


I ' 


l 


